The Daughter Of Starlight
by thesonicsmiley
Summary: This little elleth had lived her whole life alone in the woods, until one day when her whole world turns upside-down and she is forced to leave her home behind. On her long journey to get home again she does not only find unexpected friendship and explore the world, but finds out something about herself that she did not expect.
1. Prolouge

Small raindrops catched my face. I breathed in the morning and enjoyed just being. From the top of the tree, which I sat in, I could see over the wood I called my home. Five birds flew over my head and talked to each other. I smiled at them.

I jumped down to a thick branch and began to run. My bare feet touched the bark and I was one with the nature. Leaves got stuck in my light blonde hair as I took speed.

I jumped from one branch to another, knowing that i wouldn't fall nor stumble. I jumped down from a high branch and grinned as my feet felt the dewy grass. I stood and looked around while I catched my breath.

The sun was scattered by the golden leaves that covered the top of the trees, just like a sealing. Flowers began to open up, as were the animals. Two squirrels played tag among the trees and a group of three deers ran past me.

The white fabric that covered me had began to bleach and the bottom was dirty of mud. I came over it a couple of years ago, when it came running down the river i sat by. I had ripped of the arms and it was bound together in by waist with a belt made of braided grass.

I picked some red berries as I kept waking on the ground. They tasted of sun and was sweet on my tongue. Fog covered the ground just as clouds covered the tops of mountains, which gave the forest a mystical look.

I heard the singing voice of a nearby brook and decided to visit it.

My hands greeted the trees I passed. I heard a familiar neigh and hurried a bit. The white horse drank from the water just as I had expected. It raised it's head and looked at me with widened nostrils as I came out my hiding place behind some bushes.

I put my palm out and laid it on his nose. I closed my eyes.

Pictures of what I'd seen this morning flew through my mind as I shared the pictures. He blew out heated air from his lunges.

_Hooves against the ground, trees blowing by, birds flying over my head, a feeling of being able to do anything_

My rosey cheeks grew big when my lips stretched and my eyes was filled with joy as he shared his memories from this morning. I was blessed to have him. My palm was still resting on his nose so he felt my happiness and love, as I felt his.

I left his side and climbed up in a tree, giving him a last look before my feet started to move. I ran and jumped between the trees until I finally found myself on a thick branch, growing from the huge oak I slept in at night.

I heard a pair of wings next to me and turned on the spot, just to find the great owl sitting on a branch watching me. His white plumage shimmered like when water's catched by the sun. He were my oldest friend. I had no memory of a time before him.

My hand ran through his feathers and we shared memories. He reached out his wings and gracefully flew over my head, playfully catching my hair with his claws.

Our game was interrupted by a sound. The sound of racing horses. The horses slowed down and i heard a sound I had never heard before.

"We should have arrived by now." a, quite deep, voice said.

"Admit it Aragorn, we took the wrong path." another voice replied, which sounded like jingling icicles.

My pulse raised and filled my body with adrenaline.


	2. Caught

**Take notice that she doesn't understand what they are saying - to her their words are just sound.**

I was moving swift and quiet as i approached the source of the unfamiliar sound. I jumped to the final tree and stood with my back against it.

"We should continue on this path, it must lead somewhere." the deep voice said.

I carefully turned my head and leaned forward until I saw the head of a horse. I dared not lean any further, I was too exposed. With all caution I had I climbed up a few branches. I was now sitting in the top of the tree, safely hidden behind leaves. In the periphery of my eye I saw the white owl land on a branch, watching the strangers. I looked out from where I sat and gasped.

On the path in front of me stood two horses, and on them sat two creatures. One of them had dark hair and was wearing dark clothes. The other one was light and was wearing something soft and green.

"I agree." said the one with light hair.

I jumped over to another tree and then to another - I searched for a better sight. Since the beings did not take notice of me I dared to expose my face a little more. They said something and the horses began to walk. I pulled back my head and sighed in relief. It seemed like the danger was over, they was on their way to leave.

"Legolas, what are you...?"

"Wait." said the voice which belonged to the light one. "I saw something in the tree."

The horses stopped. With a wrinkle between my eyebrows I looked out again, curious why they had stopped. I found the beings looking straight at me. I pulled my back my head as fast as I could.

"Who's there?" said the deep voice.

I stood and began to run on the branches. I took a jump up through the leaves and ran on the treetops. My feet moved as fast as they possibly could. I jumped down again and landed with both my feet and my hands on a thick branch. I looked behind me and listened. As I feared i heard light steps following me. The light-headed being appeared in my vision. I started to run again, zigzagging between the trees in an attempt to lose him, but the steps just got closer.

He said something but I continued. I took to my right, jumped up a branch, and took right again. As I passed a large tree I jumped behind it and hid with my back against it. The being ran right past me without noticing me. I sighed out and moved fast to my tree.

I stopped in front of it. The owl was sitting on one of the four branches that reached out from the tree, but there was no sign of anyone else. I jumped upon the branch that led to the opening in the tree. I made a sign with my hands to the owl to fly away and then crawled into the opening.

The room in the tree was very small. Along the walls I had stored different kind of berries and edible herbs. On a stone I had laid my 'sharp thing'. I found years ago when I explored an area far away from here, very close to the mountains. I used the 'sharp thing' to cut of certain plants, it was very useful. To the right of the entrance I had gathered grass and leaves, creating a comfortable place to sleep.

I laid down on the pile of grass and waited for my heart to slow down. I suddenly heard a noise. The noise came again - someone was walking on the branch right outside. I sat straight up and pressed myself so hard I possibly could. My heart was now raising and the adrenaline was pulsing through my veins so hard it hurted.

I saw a pair of feet approaching. The light being bent down and looked at me. He didn't look intimidating, his face was plain with a wrinkle in concern. His eyes was blue as cold water and his mouth gave a small smile.

"It's okay, I won't hurt you." he said with a soft voice, unknowing that i didn't understand.

~"What is your name?"~ he said with the same voice, but the words sounded very different from the ones he had said before.

He reached out his hand into the opening and towards me and I pressed myself harder against the wall and he stopped, pulling his hand back. My chest was now raising fastly in deep breaths.

I looked at him and noticed that he looked quite like me. He had two arms and walked on two legs, our skin had the same light, creamy color. I glanced at his ears, which were pointy, and my hand went up to my ear. I explored it's shape and made the conclusion that they were the same as well.

"Yes, look we are the same" he said and touched his ear.

My hand trembled as I slowly reached out for him. When he reached out his hand towards mine I pulled it back. He got a wrinkle between his eyebrows. After a short while he looked the other way, reaching out his hand slowly before it stopped. I then dared to place my fingertips on the back of his hand.

Through my fingers I let him feel was I was feeling; confusion about him and fear.

He gasped and pulled back his hand so quickly that he lost his balance and had to land on the ground.

I took the opportunity and jumped through the opening, landing on the branch. My feet moved quickly, running and jumping between the trees. The dark headed man suddenly stepped out in front of me, forcing me to stop. The light headed man came running from behind and they reached out their hands towards me.

I had no chance to run, they would catch me if I tried. Black spots covered my vision and i began to feel dizzy. My knees failed me and I fell forward. I was unconscious as I fell into the arms of the dark headed man.


	3. Welcome to Rivendell

**Okay so I just wanna say that I'll be uploading a new chapter every 2nd or maybe 3rd day since I have a lots to do in school. I really hope you are and will enjoy this story, I do my best with it and feel free to wish or to comment on something. **

**From this chapter and on it will happen quite a lot, there will be new information and I promise that the chapters will be longer!**

**Enjoy your reading !**

I was drifting between the states of sleeping and being awake.

I saw glimpses of sunlight. I felt the movement of a horse underneath me. The light being over me, looking down at me with his wrinkle of concern every now and then.

I heard a vague song in the wind. No, there was no wind but voices who sang. We entered a archway and the horses hooves pattered the stone, before they stopped and I fell back into sleep.

I sat up and my eyes opened wide and my breath got heavy. I looked around and felt the panic spread through my body. I had never seen a place like this before. The walls were made of stone, between the two windows there stood a closet made of wood and a similar looking bookshelf stood next to the bed and the closets window. Underneath the window there was a movable tree stump. I was sitting on something soft, something white and fluffy was wrapped around me, it felt just like feathers.

I jumped up from where I sat and ran to the only lightsource of the room; an opening in the wall. It went from my waist up to the top of my head. The opening was squared in the bottom but the sides met in the top, creating an arch. Wood was carved so it crossed itself to then go down in straight lines down to the bottom.

I pressed myself against the window, breathing in the calming air. There was a cliff right outside and I saw the whole valley. The sun were on it's way down behind the mountains and it's last sunshines kissed the waterfalls on the opposite side. The treetops was dark but you could still discern the colors of golden yellow and spring green.

The door on the opposite side of the room opened and a being entered, carefully closing the door behind him. I pressed myself into the small space between the wall and the bookshelf, trying to make myself as little visible as I could.

"Suilad, my child. I greet you and welcome you to Rivendell." he said with a deep yet soft voice. He walked slowly towards me but stopped at the end of the bed. He wore a light blue robe with long sleeves in a darker color, which brought out his dark hair. A neat silver coronal framed his forehead.

My heart were now beating harder than it had ever done before. He put down a bowl filled with something red on the table, which stood at the foot of the bed. His eyes met mine. They were blue as the sky and had a depth of wisdom.

"My name is Elrond. Now, tell me; what is yours?" he continued softly.

I had no idea what those words meant, in my ears they were just noise. He sighed and bowed his head.

"I will come back in the morning. Sleep well." he finally said and left the room.

I moved and sat on the stump. Salty tears poured down my cheeks and gathered at my chin. My whole body was trembling and i hid my face in my palms. Why had this happened? Who were these beings?

It took a while to calm myself down. My cheeks were burning from the tears but I ignored it, instead I moved over to the table in the end of the bed and smiled when I saw what the being had put down. The shiny and see-through bowl was filled up with red berried. I forced myself into a small, but hopeless, smile and took a hand full of berries and threw them into my mouth - I was starving.

I turned around and was near of getting a heart attack. I was facing one of the beings.


	4. A speachless conversation

**Hello world! Here you have the next episode. Please review and tell me what you think of the story so far, I'd realy love to hear what you think about the plot and the main characters little 'power', hehe! :) **

**Oh, and remember this while reading; feelings and pictures that are shared are written in bold!**  
**Enjoy!**

It took a good while before I recognized the face, which reflection I had seen in the water many times. The face belonged to me. They had catched the water on the wall? I went forward and pressed the tips of my fingers against it. I moved them over the reflection, it was cold but not wet. It suddenly hit me how much the beings looked like me, or the other way around.

Tears were again pouring down my face, slightly visible by the moonlight. My knuckles were sore and bleeding, after hitting the unbreakable tree. I leant my forehead against the carvings that prevented me from throwing myself out the window and took some calming breaths.

I woke up by the sound of the door opening. I stood and pressed myself into the corner just as yesterday. I had slept sitting, on the stump, with my head resting against the window.

The same being as yesterday approached me. He smiled when he saw the empty bowl on the table and replaced it with the one he were carrying. His eyes met mine and he bowed his head. He looked different today, his robe was now red and his shoulders were covered with a brown soft-looking thing which followed the robe down to the floor.

"Goodmorning." he said with a friendly smile on his lips and joy in his eyes, which looked troubled as well.

He sat down on the soft thing I had woken up at yesterday. He reached out his hand towards me. What should I do? I dared not lay my hand in his since he then was given the opportunity to grip me.

He saw that I was torn and turned his hand so the back were up. I slowly took a step towards him and moved my hand towards his with all the carefulness I could spare. His eyes smiled more and more as closer I got.

When I finally placed my tips on the back of his hand he closed his eyes.

_**Confusion**__, of him, of this place. _

I let my feelings pass to him. He raised his eyebrows and slightly opened his mouth but I kept my fingers on his hand. I felt his surprise.

His thoughts hit me like if I had run into a wall.

_Who are you, what are you doing, how can you do, how can this be,_

The questions came flowing. I understood their meaning, what he was asking, but I could not understand the meaning of the words.

Of course he felt what I was feeling and opened his eyes and slowly turned to look at me.

"Who are you?" he said and as he did I understood the words. His mind was very organized this time. He wondered who I was! He had asked me about myself and I understood.

I felt a slight joy in me. Joy for understanding, joy for the ability to understand what he meant. I tasted the words in my mind by returning the question to him.

_Who, are… You?_

I thought slowly and with the memory of his voice. My heart was still beating fast, ready to pump out adrenaline - I did not know for sure that he wouldn't stab me in the back as fast as he got the chance.

_I am Elrond_

As he said _Elrond_, a picture of himself appeared, among memories of all sorts of people calling him by his name. I felt that some of them weren't intended to be shown.

_Elrond...?_

I thought questioningly, showing him a picture of himself. He smiled and nodded. Through him I felt that I was correct.

I showed him what moved through my mind.

_**I was running out of this room, out of this location, returning to where I belong - my beautiful forest.**_

It felt like if I had swallowed a spare of metal when I felt how he felt about that.

_**Denial**_

I pulled back my hand and slowly moved back to the corner. My mind was exploding of new impressions. I sat on the stump and watched him with concern. He had lowered his hand as I had pulled back, but as fast as I reached out for him again he raised his arm as well.

I showed him a picture of him walking out the door. He understood what I was implying and nodded. He stood and went with grace back to the door and out of it.

How could I trust these beings? How can I be sure of that they wouldn't hurt me? They had already denied me leaving.

The voices in the wind were still singing. Songs that i didn't understand the meaning of. But they were beautiful, and so sad at the same time. The voices were soft like bells, like raindrops from first shower of spring landing on leaves.

I looked down at my arm and noticed that my hairs were standing up. The song emphasized what I was feeling in an almost unpleasant way.

A small drop of water escaped my eye.

I sat by the window the rest of the day, with the wind gently kissing my face and the song echoing in my ears.

A familiar pair of wings interrupted my thoughts.

I was satisfied with myself.

I had shared a picture of the dagger to my friend, who loyally had flown to retrieve it, among with a couple of berries, special berries, that I had desired. I had covered the blade of the dagger with juice from the berries. Now I was just waiting in the right moment.

As the dark had approached I began my plan.

I bolted the door as hard as I could, hoping that someone would hear me. When I paused beating my shoulders against the door I heard steps outside. A clicking sound was made and the door opened.

There stood a being there, one I had not seen before.

"Are you well? Can I help you with anything?" he said.

Both of my hands were behind my back, holding on to the dagger. I released one of my hands and reached out for his. He looked suspicious, the look on my face of concentration probably gave it away, but yet reached out his hand.

I took it in a hard grip and ran the edge of the blade against his skin. When I removed it there was a thin, red line. He gasped and stumbled forward, landing on the floor with his front down. He didn't move.

I knew that the being would wake up soon enough, the berries would last for a while but he would wake up about sunrise. I knew this by own experience.

I ran out the entrance and made the choice to take left instead of right and came out to a balcony. From there I saw an entrance to the forest and hurried my way down the stairs. I ran as fast as I could over the stone covered ground. But something stopped me.

The dark headed being had locked his arms around me and wouldn't let go.

"Tirith!" he yelled and his voice echoed in the night.  
(Guards!)

I tried everything to break free. I scratched him, bit him and even punched him but he still wouldn't leave go of me. As two other being ran towards us I gave up. My knees failed me and my head hung in sorrow.

I felt empty. Empty and out of hope.


	5. Edengwen

**This is a long one for you, I hope you'll like it!**

**I'll try to update every day but sometimes it will be updated efery other day, since I want every chapter to be long and contain something important.**

**Please review and tell me what you think of my story so far! ^^)**

The door closed behind me and I was in the room again. It had almost worked. I had been so close the entrance.

I provoked went around in circles and clenched my fists over and over. My eyes catched the crystal bowl that, eh… Elrond had brought with him. Before I knew it I had thrown the bowl right into the wall. The floor were now covered in shattered glass.

When I realized what I had done the anger poured off me and was replaced with hopelessness. There would be no use to destroy the surroundings.

I sat on the stump and looked out at the star filled sky. They are so beautiful that I could look at them all night. Sleepy I leaned my head against the wall, with my eyes still fixed on the stars.

My thoughts wandered to the forest. The safe place I had lived in had now been taken away from me. Or well, I'd been taken away from it.

I closed my eyes and could hear the sound from billions of shaking leaves, feel the wind blowing in my face and lifting my hair from my shoulders. I smelled wet grass and flowers. Birds were flying in between the trees and bees were searching for flowers.

I fell further and further into sleep and finally found myself running among the trees with the wind in my hair.

I woke up by three gently knocks on the door. I scootched the stump into the corner and watched Elrond enter the room. He carried a bowl with him today as well and were dressed in a red robe.

"Len suilon…" he interrupted himself

(I greet you)

His eyes were locked on the shattered glass and were filled with confusion as the tips of his eyebrows raised and wrinkles were playing on his forehead, causing him looking cross. But his face fastly softened and he breathed out, probably understanding how the shattered glass came to happen.

He slowly went towards me and sat on the soft thing on the same spot as yesterday.

He slowly reached out his hand towards me, with the back of the hand facing the sealing.

My eyes narrowed and I gave him the darkest gaze I could induce. He had denied letting me go and I wouldn't forget it. It had made me realise that I for sure couldn't trust him.

He looked a bit dismal but understanding, though he didn't pull back his hand.

We sat like that for a long time, just staring at eachother.

His shadow had moved from being right next to him to almost disappearing behind him when my stomach complained.

He sighed and reached for the bowl with, this time, blue filling and literally pushed it into my arms, before sitting down again. I ate the berries slowly, never letting my, now softer, gaze go of him.

Eventually he made sigh and stood. He approached and crouched in front of me. I pressed my back against the wall with all of my force. I had let go of the bowl, which now rolled around on the floor and covered the floor with it's contents, and used my arms as a shield as I hid my face behind them.

"I do not mean to hurt you." he said and softly placed a few fingers on my wrist.

_**Compassion**__, __**kindness**__, __**promising that I would be safe**__,_

He pulled back his fingers and stood. He gracefully took a step back and watched me, probably trying to read me.

I had seen right into his mind, his feelings had be true, he wouldn't let me come to harm. Even if I found it hard to believe it I couldn't deny that his feelings were real.

A whimper escaped my throat as I buried my face in my palms in confusion. What should I do? What could I do? I was their captive and they wouldn't let me go.

I looked up and saw Elrond's hand that were reached out to me. He looked meaningly at me and then his opened palm. Since I figured that I didn't have much of a choice I placer my tips, covered in blue juice from the berries, against his.

Reading, learning, speaking,

He meant for me to learn the language.

"Just enough so we can understand each other." he said with a voice soft as powdered snow.

Again, I didn't understand the word that came out of his mouth, but since I felt what he were thinking I understood what he meant.

I lifted my tips to give me some privacy while considering.

I was sure of that he wouldn't hurt me, but I still felt a bit torn about trusting him. The odd feeling in my stomach said both affirmative and deny.

The look in his eyes determined my decision. He looked upon me with such understanding.

I replaced my fingers on his and showed him my answer;

_**Acception**_

He smiled and I felt his joy.

_**Together we walked out the door, took right and followed the corridor till we came to a balcony with a great staircase, we went down it and followed a path made of stone, entered a white gazebo.**_

I let out a small gasp. He had just showed me how and where we would go.

He pulled in his hand and went over to the door. He opened it and looked at me.

"Come with me, child." he said and reached out his hand towards me in a gesture. I took a few steps in insecurity, but then followed him out the door.

I found us in a white corridor with walls made of stone, the ceiling were high and and vaulted. The floor were made of a dark stone, which felt cold against my bare feet.

I looked down the left corridor. I had the chance to run and try to escape again but I probably wouldn't make it.

I looked the other way and found Elrond watching me. He stood a few steps away, next to a picture on the wall. He looked like he knew what I was thinking, waiting for me to make my choice.

I decided to follow his suggestion and took a step towards him. His mouth were stretched out in a small smile. He gracefully turned around and I followed him as he went down the corridor.

I watched him as we moved. His eyes were filled with wisdom, they were soft yet the looked sharp as a hawk. I was shorter than him, not by much but my head ended at his shoulders. He moved with such grace and caution, like every single movement he made mattered. Me myself walked with my head raised and my eyes were moving quickly between the details on the walls.

Some were white as snow but some were covered with pictures of these beings, of horses and of great mountains. They were beautifully detailed, it looked like reality.

We came to the balcony and the staircase made of grey stone, we followed it down and reached the path. It were made of smaller, flat stoned that had been assembled.

Along the path there were a stone wall used as a railing. From where we walked we could see the whole valley with all its rivers and waterfalls.

We followed the path to the gazebo. The whole structure shimmered white and the ceiling had been carved into beautiful swirls. In the middle of the gazebo there stood a table made of stone and two wooden chairs.

Elrond made a gesture to one of the chairs and sat himself down on the opposite one. I sat down as well and looked around. The gazebo were placed close to a rock face and there must be a waterfall nearby since I heard the sound of splashing water.

He placed his arms on the table with his palms up and I placed my hands in them.

We sat there the whole afternoon and the sun had began to hide behind the mountainside. He showed me pictures of things and moves along with what they are called:

_**The entrance to my room;**_ _Door, __**the big soft thing that I had woken up on;**_ _Bed,_

And so on. He had learned me some question words as well:

_Who, what, when, how,_

And names for people and to whom they were meant for:

_You, I, he, she, them,_

I learned quickly and remembered the most of the words.

_I believe we are done for today_

He said and I nodded in response. Spending the afternoon with him had made me feel more comfortable around him and I had more trust than before.

_Since you don't call yourself by a name I will give you one for now, you can change it whenever you want, but for now you will be called Edengwen._

he said and I nodded once again.

_Edengwen…_

I thought to myself.

Instead of pulling back my hands I shared a question with him.

_**The forest,**_ _when I can return?_

I thought slowly, hoping for a better response than the one I got yesterday.

_I won't hold you here forever, you are not our prisoner._

he replied.

I sighed out and a stone lifted from my chest. Of course i didn't understand all of the words he had said but I understood their meaning, and that was really the only thing I needed to hear.

_But I would like you to stay in Rivendell for a while longer._

he added.

_I would like to learn more about you and why you live in the woods all by yourself. You are but a mystery to me._

he continued.

I made a nod. I understood him, and I actually found myself wanting to learn more about them as well.

_I say you stay here for a couple of days, to learn the language so we can converse properly._

he said.

I pulled back my hands so I could think in privacy. This would be my best chance to come home, to do as he says and win his trust in me. I won't have a chance to escape anyways.

I placed my hands in his again.

_Yes._

I said.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Edengwen is elvish for _New maiden_, which I thought would suit her.


	6. Homesick

**It's starting to get interesting? :)**

**The next chapter will be published in two days from now!**

**Oh, and remember: ~" ... "~ means that it's said in elvish!**

**Enjoy and don't forget to review, it makes me very happy to read what you think about it :)**

**Btw I want to say thank you to everyone that have review, from now I'll try to reply them!**

Elrond sat in his study by his desk. His hands were clasped in front of him and he looked at the letters in front of him, which he had hurried to write after he had followed Edengwen to her bedroom.

He took them in his hands and went out the room to find Lindir. He found him sitting on a stone bench in the garden, reading a book.

When Lindir saw his lord he stood and bowed.

~"Send someone to leave this to the Lady of light in Lothlórien and King Thranduil of Mirkwood."~ Elrond said.

~"I will take care of it my lord."~ Lindir responded and went to give someone the task.

Elrond sat down on the stone bench. This girl they had found in the forest concerned him. How come she lived there alone? Someone must have left her there when she were but an infant, but why would anyone do so?

She still were but a child. She had the body of a six- or even a seventeen old human female but because elves receive their adult looks about the age of fifty she could not be older than forty years.

He hoped that Thranduil could come for this council. The king had a reputation that he didn't care so much for Middle-Earth unless it concerned his kingdom. And it had only been nine years since the dragon were slayed.

The wind blowed him gently in his face and he sighed.

He didn't know what to do with Edengwen but had to wait for Galadriel and Thranduil to arrive, so they could discuss her and her ability to share thoughts. She must be blessed by the Valar to have such a power.

He shook his head.

She truly were a child of mystery.

xxx

When Elrond had closed the door behind me I went to the window and sat on the stump. I pulled up my knees and wrapped my arms around them and placed my chin on them.

I must admit that the city of Rivendell were beautiful, but I very much missed the woods. To feel the grass underneath my feet as I ran, to sit in the top of a tree and watch the sunrise, I missed being all by myself and to be with the animals.

I now felt really homesick. But it's not so strange that i'm feeling this way, after all, it's the only place I've ever called my home.

But I didn't _hate_ the elves, not any more. I don't say that I like them either. I try to avoid them, with Elrond as an exception, as often as I can. To my delight I hadn't really been forced to talk to anyone except him, and I would try to keep it that way. I just want to get out of here.

On our way to my room after my lesson with Elrond I had seen those who had captured me. The man with dark hair wore black pants along with a dark brown shirt, and the blonde one wore a pair of black pants as well but instead of a shirt he wore a tunic in a dark green color.

Both of them had looked at me and the blonde one said something to the dark haired man. Elrond, who had noticed whom I was looking at, took one of my hands in his.

_Their names are Aragorn, __**the dark haired man**__, and Legolas, __**the blonde one**__._

he told me and let go of my hand.

They disappeared as Elrond and I went up the staircase made of stone.

The moon had now looked up from behind the mountains in the east and a few stars could be spotted in the sky. The birds had stopped their singing, which meant that it was time to sleep.

I went over to the, eh… Bed and laid me down on it. It was extremely soft, which felt weird since I always slept on hard wood. I felt the drowsiness catching up on me and I closed my heavy eyelids.

xxx

Three days went by and I developed a few routines. Every morning I woke up by Elrond's three gentle knocks, followed by breakfast in the garden. The table were filled with juicy berries and amazing fruits and I ate alone while Elrond sat sat somewhere nearby reading a book.

We then went to the gazebo where he learned me new words and expressions until the sun started to go down. He then showed me around the city and told me stories about the gods and the first elves. I liked his stories, they opened my mind and made me think of things I had never known existed.

My favorite stories were those about the gods, the Valar. About how Varda created the stars and of Aulë that created the dwarves, Elrond showed me what they looked like.

I felt more comfortable in Rivendell by now, it was peaceful. But I longed for coming home.

On the fourth day I had learned enough English to understand the essential in conversations and I'd started to talk without sharing my mind. It felt amazing to understand people, or well, Elrond, when he were talking his language and I was proud of myself.

We went through Rivendell. A river flew through the city and I sat on a bridge looking down into the water. I watched my reflection and drew my fingers through the cold water.

"Edengwen." Elrond called and made a gesture to sit next to him.

I dried my hand by wiping them against the fabric of my clothing, which still were the same as I had when I first got here. I went over to him and sat down beside him on the stone bench.

"We will be joined by two guests this evening, they should have arrived by nightfall." he said and looked me in the eyes.

"They have traveled far to come here, and they are here because of you." he continued.

I got a wrinkle of concern between my eyebrows.

"Because of me?" I asked him.

I was not so good at speaking out loud yet, my voice sound harsh and I often stammered.

Elrond sighed and looked like he wondered where he should begin. He looked back at me with his soft eyes, his eyebrows were slightly pushed together and his forehead were filled with wrinkles.

"Do not worry. They come to hear your story." he said.

"My s-s-story? Why?" I managed to say, with curiosity in my voice.

Why would they want to come just to hear about me? There must be something else. But did their journey here mean that I had to meet them? I don't want to.

"You were found in the woods all by yourself, without parents or someone that can take care for you. Until a few days ago you had never seen anyone like you before, someone must have left you there when you were but an infant." he said, his voice were more serious this time.

He breathed out in concern and turned to look me in the eyes once more. They were filled with compassion and empathy.

"When we are gathered, we expect to hear everything you know about yourself." he said with a soft voice.

"I want you to be honest with us, we just want to help you." he added.

I looked down at my hands in my knee. Why would they help me? What did I need help with? I don't want to see the, right now I just want to come home. I hoped that Elrond would keep his promise and let me go after a couple of days here.

But I didn't have anything out of their knowledge to tell them, I've lived In the woods all my life, thats it.

"When I can return?" I asked him quietly.

"When _can_ I return." he corrected me and I noted my mistake.

He looked down with his mouth half opened. He didn't say anything but breathed out and his gaze fell upon the valley in front of us.

"I do not know." he finally said.

He looked me in the eyes seriously and continued with an intensive voice and raised eyebrows.

"You have to understand that it's a very rare gift you have. We have to learn more about you, how and why you placed in the woods in the first place and how you received this gift of yours." he said.

I turned my head away and hung it, my eyes were squint.

I couldn't believe it!

My feelings were tumbling around in my body. Disappointment, betrayal and disbelief took turns of playing in my head.

"I'm sorry. " he said.

I opened my eyes and looked out the valley.

"I never will leave Rivendell, will I?" I said quietly, my voice were rueful.

"Of course you will." he replied quickly.

I looked up at him with watery eyes, he looked upon me with soft eyes of compassion. He took my hand in his.

_But it would be a relief to know that you have us to turn to in times of need, and to know that you are safe._

He thought with a vague smile and removed his hands.

I sighed. There wasn't anything I could do, could I? They would let me go first when they wanted to.

"We will have the meeting in tomorrow morning." he said and stood.

"I think we are done for the day. I will walk you to your room." he finished.

I stood and followed him back to the buildings. The sun had now almost disappeared completely and it's last sunshines colored the sky in a beautiful orange color, and when it shone upon the waterfalls they looked like they were made of gold.

xxx

We came to the room and he turned to me.

"Tomorrow I will have two maidens come over and help you to find some clothes and make you ready for the meeting." Elrond said and and looked around us.

"But for now you are free to explore the whole city of Rivendell." he continued with an urging gaze.

"As long as you don't run away." he added and smiled.

xxx

My evening continued on the paths of Rivendell. The paths of stone were followed by lampposts in silver, which made the environment easy to discern.

Voices filled the air in a beautiful song which I couldn't understand, since they sang in elvish.

The path lead to a stone bridge, where I stayed at. I was surrounded by trees and bushes, through them I could see the light of the houses.

I kept going and came back to a balcony. I leaned forward against the railing, a gray brick wall, and breathed in the night. As I was about to turn around I saw something in the corner of my eye and stopped.

In a great building, like a gazebo but huge and made of stone, a couple of buildings away there stood a lady.

Her dress was white and her hair were golden and lifted as the wind ran through it. It looked like she was surrounded by a light, or did the light come from her body?

I saw her head turning and she looked upon me. A shiver fled down my spine as her eyes, which were too far away to be seen, seemed to stare into mine.

I turned around and hurried back to my room, where I laid down on the bed and fell asleep at once.

xxx

Knock, knock, knock, knock.

I opened my eyes and figured that the two maidens that Elrond had spoken of had arrived. They opened the door and came in.

One had a round bur fair face with dark brown hair which stopped first at her waist. Her gown was read and she was carrying something made of a deep green fabric. The other maid had a more heart shaped face with raven black hair that was a bit shorter than the maid in front of her. She carried something as well and wore a light blue, silky gown.

"Good morning, lady Edengwen." the first one said and they both bowed their heads. I bowed mine in return, Elrond had explained that it was a part of politeness.

My eyes flickered between the both of them. They looked friendly, but I didn't feel so comfortable with having them so close upon me.

"My name is Celemiril." the one with the black hair said.

"And I am Iveril." the other one continued.

I nodded and stood. To get over with this as fast as possible I would let them do what they were sent here for without struggles.

They dressed be in the green gown that Iveril had carried and they sang an elvish song as they brushed and braided my hair. When they were done I stood.

"I will lead you to the meeting." Iveril said and I followed her out the room.

I was nervous, this simple meeting could change my whole life.

I had no idea of how right I was.


	7. The council

**I hope that you'll enjoy reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it :)**

**PegasusWingsVW: Thank you! I'm glad you like it! :D**

**KiyaJinnSkywalkerKenobi: Yes I know, I ran this in a grammar check so I hope that it contains less mistakes :) And thank you! :)**

Elrond sighed as he looked out the valley that he knew better than anyone else.

He had stood right here but nine and a half years ago having an argue with Gandalf the gray, Sauroman the white and Galadriel of Lothlórien either or not the dwarves of Erebor should reclaim their homeland.

~"Why should we trouble ourselves because of a child? She is no threat to us, isn't she?" ~ Thranduil of Mirkwood said from where he sat at the stone table, carefully choosing which grape to pick.

Elrond turned around and slowly walked across the room, with his hands behind his back. The lady Galadriel still stood by the pillar, looking out at the valley as the first light shone upon it. But he knew that she listened to everything that were said.

~"Threat or not, she is but a child. You cannot mean us to leave her at her own?"~ Elrond replied, slightly annoyed.

Had the king not listened to what was said?

Thranduil picked a green grape and studied it in the sunlight, before he turned his crown studded head to meet Elrond's eyes..

~"Why not? She has provided herself this far."~ he said with raised eyebrows.

Elrond stopped and placed his hands on the table.

~"We have to find out how she got there in the first place."~ he said with a raised voice.

~"You say she possesses this gift, the ability to share thoughts?"~ lady Galadriel asked and smoothly turned around to face them.

~"She does."~ Elrond answered and looked upon her.

~"And you do not know how she came to have it?"~ she continued.

~"No."~ Elrond said with a sigh.

~"She does not possess any items of power. She must be blessed by the Valar."~ he continued.

~"Why would the Valar chose to bless her?"~ Thranduil said and placed the grape on his tongue.

~"That's what we need to find out."~ Elrond said and looked upon Thranduil, who gave him a condescending gaze.

~"But I'm afraid we might never will." he finished with a low voice.

_~You have spent a lot of your time thinking about her, you know what you want us to do~_

Elrond met her gaze as Galadriel spoke in his mind. He straightened himself and looked down at the table.

~"My suggestion is that each one of us should have her in our care. She can stay for a couple of months in Rivendell, then in Lothlórien and then in Mirkwood. We can teach her the language and history of the elves, along with how to take care of herself. During the time we can try to find out where she belongs."~ Elrond said and waited for their reactions.

He had considered their possibilities during the last couple of days and had concluded that this was the best option.

Galadriel smiled at him, but Thranduil didn't look too happy about his suggestion.

~"I accept."~ Galadriel said and bowed her head.

Elrond laid his right hand over his heart and bowed his head in return, before he looked upon Thranduil.

His face was still filled with deny, as if he were about to refuse, but after a moment of consideration his face softened and he stood.

~"If both of you will have your imprint on her then so will I."~ he said and bowed his head towards them.

xxx

I followed Iveril out the door where we took right. We passed many doors, but we didn't enter any of them.

The maiden in front of me walked with grace, like water running down a stream. Me on the other hand walked with quickness and smoothness, but I did not look as graceful.

She slowed down so we walked side by side.

"I've heard a rumour that you can share your thoughts." she said curiously and looked at me.

I looked upon her with surprise.

"Can't everyone?" I asked her.

Her laugh sounded like bells in the wind.

"If we did, we wouldn't be in need of a language." she said and looked upon me, her eyes were friendly and filled with joy.

I suddenly realized that Elrond had tried to tell me this yesterday.

"_You have to understand that it's a very rare gift you have."_

He had told me.

Was I the only one who could? I remembered her question and placed two fingertips on her hand.

_Yes,_

I thought and pulled back my fingers.

She made a small gasp when she heard my voice in her head and looked at me with respect.

"So the rumours are then." she said and bowed her head.

We continued our walk in silence.

The corridor led to a bridge. White carvings raised from the sides and were bound together over our heads, underneath us water were streaming.

We crossed it and came to the other side. Instead of buildings there was a staircase made of stone that led up a hill.

"Here I will leave you." Iveril said and looked at me.

"They are waiting for you at the end of the stairs." she added and turned around, walking back from where we came.

I took a deep breath and took the first step.

The stairs led me up the hill slowly. The closer I got to the stone building on the top of the hill I grew more nervous. I was almost at the top when I realised that it was the same building that I had seen last night.

My stomach was cramping, I had never been this nervous before.

Elrond went out of the building and bowed his head in a greeting, before he reached out his hand towards the building in a gesture.

"We have waited for you." he said with a soft voice.

My heart beated as fast as a hummingbird's when I entered.

In the middle of the great gazebo there stood a table, filled with all sorts of fruit, and a pair of chairs. One of them was occupied by a man.

His hair was silver and carried a great crown of twigs and red was wearing a great robe in the colors of light green and silver. His eyes were as blue as ice and studied me from top to toe before they locked onto mine. For a slight moment it looked like he had seen a ghost.

I managed to let go of his gaze and my eyes fell upon the lady who was standing by a pillar. Her hair were golden and carried a silver crown, she was dressed in a beautiful white dress. Her eyes were deep blue, filled with wisdom yet shone like thousands of lights.

"Edengwen, this is king Thranduil of Mirkwood," Elrond said and made a gesture to the man at the table.

"And lady Galadriel of Lothórien." he continued with a gesture towards the lady.

She smiled at me and bowed her head.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Edengwen of the woods." she said, her voice was soft as pouring water and jingling as bells.

I opened my mouth slightly, but nothing came out.

"Now," Elrond started.

"Tell us about your life." he continued and sat down on the free chair.

He looked upon me with compassion.

I looked down on my clasped hands as I prepared myself.

"I-I've lived in forest my whole life." I stammered.

"Do you know how you came to the forest or who left you there?"

The question came from Thranduil, who looked upon me with curiosity.

"No." I said quietly and looked down at my hands again to avoid his gaze.

"And you have always conversed by sharing your mind." the lady Galadriel said, more like a statement rather than a question but I still nodded.

"I would very much see this power of yours, if you wouldn't mind?" she asked with her eyebrows slightly raised.

I questionly looked at Elrond, who gave a nod that it was all right.

Galadriel smoothly approached me and reached out her open hands. I laid mine in hers and let my thoughts and feelings pass to her, as well as hers were passed to me.

**Curiosity, kindness, compassion,**

I felt from her.

**Afraid, **

was the feeling she felt from me.

Do not fear, child, you won't come to harm,

She thought and I felt

**Safe,**

all the sudden. I somehow believed her, her words didn't just _feel_ true, but they _were_. Which made me curious.

She smiled at me and pulled back her hands.

"We have a proposal." she said as she walked towards a rising in the other side of the room.

"You will stay with each one of us for a third of a year each." she continued.

"Here in Rivendell you will learn the common language, our history and how to write and read." Elrond said from where he sat.

"In Lórien we will teach you the elvish language, Sindarin." Galadriel continued.

"And in Mirkwood you will learn how to use a bow and a sword." Thranduil finished.

I was shocked. They meant me to be away from my home for a whole year. My heart pounded hard in sorrow.

Elrond noticed my reaction and stood.

"Of course you have some days to decide if you want to or not." he said, trying to give me some comfort.

But I knew better. If I would deny their proposal they would probably keep me here for who knows how long.

xxx

I sat on the riverbank with my feet in the water. The sun stood high in the sky, it had but starting to go down.

I had to agree to their proposal, I don't have any other choice. But I don't _want_ to.

I sighed, closed my eyes and let the sunshines catch my face. The air smelled of flowers and grass, a beautiful combination. I was concentrating so hard that I didn't hear that someone sat down close to me.

"Hello." a voice said questionly and I quickly turned around.

Aragorn sat on a stone just a few steps away from me.

I looked upon him with slightly narrowed eyes and scooch away a bit.

"How are you?" he asked casually.

His hands played with some grass and he looked me friendly in the eyes. He wasn't pressuring or anything, but just kept asking me things.

"My name is Aragorn." he said and his hands stopped a while before they kept braiding the grass.

"I know." I answered shortly.

The corner of his mouth stretched out in a crooked smile, but his face grew more serious as he started to talk again.

"I understand that it's hard to have been taken away from your home." he said.

_No you don't_

I thought, but I didn't say anything. After a moment of silence I couldn't hold it anymore.

"Why did you capture me? I enjoyed my life as it was, peaceful." I asked him accusingly.

He looked upon me with concern and sadness in his face. He didn't answer my question immediately.

"I'm sorry that you feel that way." he finally said.

"But I think it's best for you this way. You are safe here, you have people that are looking after you and you can drink and eat as much as you desire." he added.

"I can take care of myself." I answered with a snort.

It somehow made his smile come back, which made me frown.

"Oh, I don't doubt you can." he said with a smile on his lips and joy in his eyes.

I felt my cheeks heat up, not in anger but a new feeling. The feeling was tingling, I don't know if it was a good or bad feeling. It didn't feel so bad.

I looked down at my hands and saddened a bit.

"It seems like you will have your will through." I said quietly.

When I let my gaze fall upon him he looked confused.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

I looked about at the beautiful environment that surrounded us.

"They have given me a proposal." I said and looked at the river.

There was a moment of silence.

"What kind of proposal?" he wondered.

"To live in each kingdom, four months in each. Then they will let me go" I answered in a sigh.

"What will happen if you deny?" he asked.

I looked at him. He seemed interested and concerned in my future.

"Then I guess that I'll spent a lot of my time here." I said in despair.

We had a moment of silence until he once again broke it.

"Then agree to it." he said.

"A year will pass faster than you believe." he said with his crooked smile.

"And who knows, maybe it won't be as bad as you think." he finished and stood.

He said goodbye and left me alone, to think about what he had said. And I did.

Maybe he was right? Maybe it wouldn't be so bad, and it hopefully it would pass quickly. And it would probably be my best chance to get out of here as fast as possible.


	8. New routines

**Next chapter will be longer, I promise! **

**Please review and tell me what you think so far, how do you think I portray the characters, and what do you think of the main character? It woud make me very happy :) **

**minnie123456890: Well here you go :) It makes me really happy that you like it! :D**

**KiyaJinnSkywalkerKenobi: I like, and appreciate, that you enjoy it so far! I'm glad that you enjoy 'my' Thranduil and I totaly agree with you on that he's not evil.**

**PegasusWingsVW: Well, I give you, *Drumroll* THIS CHAPTER :D**

**flaming-amber: Well, I looked up the elves and it stood that they learn very quickly; **Their minds develop quicker than their bodies; by their first year, they can speak, walk and even dance, and their quicker onset of mental maturity makes young Elves seem older than they actually are.( /wiki/Elven_Life_cycle)

**Well, I know and I thought a lot about it, but concluded that I didn't want a naked elven to run about in the forest so I made it a bit easy :3 But I'm really glad that you like it so far, I'll do my best with it, honestly. **

Birds tweeted beautiful melodies as they were chasing each other in the air. The sun was rising from the horizon, which cast bizarre shadows from the pillars around me. They were covered in ivy, which made them look like enormous bushes.

From the stone bench I sat on, I could see the whole garden, which I was very fond of since I loved the beautiful plants and flowers.

I saw that the light headed elf, Legolas, wandered about in the garden. His hair shone as it reflected the sunshines and he was wearing a light blue tunic, along with dark pants. He looked a bit troubled, or nervous, as his fingers played with a flower in his hand.

He straightened himself and dropped the flower as he bowed. King Thranduil approached him, wearing a long, green rome which dragged behind him.

He raised Legolas head, which still was bowed, with his hand and bowed his head. He began to speak something.

"Legolas is his son. They have not seen each other in years, not since the battle of Erebor." a voice behind me said.

I turned around and saw Elrond standing in the entrance. He gave a vague smile, and went with grace over to the bench where he sat down next to me.

We watched them as they went through the garden and I thought back at what had happened just a moment ago.

_I hurried to the terrace where Elrond had asked me to meet him. I had spent the rest of my yesterday strolling around in Rivendell, so I knew quite well where the venue was._

_I ran on the stone path with my shoes in my hand, I preferred to have bare feet as I didn't like to wear shoes, it just felt unnatural._

_I rounded a corner and bumped into someone, which caused me to fall and land on my bum._

_Adrenaline was pumping through my body and I stood as fast as possible, looking upon the one that was standing in my way._

_It was the man from the meeting, Thranduil. We stood about four steps apart, and he looked down at me with his deer-like eyes. He had a stern look on his face, as he looked at me._

"_I'm sorry." I said quietly and with my awful pronouncing. _

_He didn't answer but slightly raised his eyebrows. His hands were clasped together behind his back and his eyes studied my face. As his eyes met mine I saw deep into them. They were soft, yet hard as stone, and cold as ice. He looked as if he was thinking really hard, as if he tried to figure something out._

_I recalled the look upon his face yesterday, the one he had as I entered the meeting - as if he had seen me before._

"_Why does you look at me like that?" I asked him curiously, for I did not feel comfortable with his gaze._

_He let go of my eyes and looked down at the path with a wrinkle between his eyebrows, as he remembered, as he slowly moved forward. He walked past me and rounded the corner._

"_You look like someone I knew, someone I lost." he said, with a solid voice, as we walked._

_He suddenly stopped, with his back facing me, and slightly turned his head towards my direction._

"_Someone I was very fond of." he added, with a low and sad voice._

I turned to Elrond.

"He told me he lost someone?" I asked him carefully.

Elrond turned his head to look at me, I could distinguish a slight surprise in his face.

"He had a wife." he explained.

"I've been told that he loved her deeply. She died many years ago." he continued looking out over the garden, and the valley behind it.

I didn't ask him anymore question, nor did he ask me why the king had told me that, but we both sat in silence.

"Have you thought about our proposal?" he asked and looked at me, but I still looked out at the beautiful view.

"I accept it." I said quietly.

xxx

I had been in Rivendell for a week now. During it, I had developed my speaking and now I almost speak like one of the native elves.

Every day followed a schedule, tomorrow would be the same as today, which was the same as yesterday.

I would wake up as the sun rose up behind the mountains, dress myself in a pair of soft and flexible pants and a tunic - which were the clothes I preferred the most, eat breakfast - composed by all sorts of fruits and berries. My day continued with my lessons with Elrond - he taught me about their history and had not yet finished the story of how the elves had come to Middle-Earth.

When we were done with my lessons we went to the dining room. We often ate by ourselves, which I could sense that Elrond didn't prefer, but we were sometimes joined by his daughter or sons.  
After dinner, I would spend the rest of my evening exploring Rivendell - I couldn't bear to just sit still and do nothing. Sometimes the white owl made me company, but I felt his fear of being around other people.

The lady Galadriel and king Thranduil had returned to their homelands the same day as I had accepted their proposal. The king left without any last words, but Galadriel had a word with me before she rode away with her guards.

"_We will see each other very soon." she said, bowing her head at me._

_I returned the act and she smiled at me. Somehow, I didn't feel a need to be suspicious or careful around her, but I felt safe and comfortable in her company. _

_She closed her eyes as she placed her hand on my cheek._

Do not fear those who are trying to help you - and you will find peace in yourself,

_She thought and removed her hand._

xxx

I had now just finished dinner, with Elrond and his daughter Arwen.

I liked her, she always looked at me with kindness and respect in her eyes and she wouldn't overwhelm me with questions. She and her father talked about people and places, remembering old times and discuss how fast their time had passed, while I listened to their conversations.

The moon stood high above the mountains and as the moonlight shone through the foliage it caused light spots on the path I was walking on. In order to entertain myself I would make a game of jumping between the light spots, not touching the shadows.

I jumped about along the path, which lead onto a bridge and into a part which looked like a forest, where I had walked once before, about a week ago.

I grinned as I tried to balance myself when I landed on a small spot of light, and gave a sigh as I stepped at the shadow and lost my own game.

I looked up and further away on the path I saw Legolas. He was smiling at me, since he had noticed my game with myself.

I started to walk back to the buildings from where I came. I did not feel quite comfortable around him, since he was the one who lead to my capture. If it wouldn't be for him, then I would still be back in my home. I missed it. Elrond had offered me to visit it, but only if a guard came with me - he said that the woods weren't as safe as they used to be, even if I've never seen anything suspicious.

But when I saw Legolas, I just got this unpleasant feeling in my gut. I don't believe that he's malicious or that he would intend to hurt me - he seems very peaceful. But I just feel weird about him. Aragorn, on the other hand, I had no problem with, since we talked by the river. We haven't talked as much as we did since, but we greet each other when we meet.

I strolled around some buildings until I came to a balcony that gave me an amazing view over the valley. I leaned myself against the wall of bricks as I enjoyed the wind blowing in my face. The moonlight made the valley look spooky, but in a way it was beautiful. In the night I could feel my senses sharpen a bit, since the darkness limited my vision.

I could hear the bats fly into the night, as well as I could smell the wet grass. Some elves were singing a beautiful melody which made me feel homely. I believe that's what I love the most about Rivendell.

"Good evening." I heard a voice behind me say.

I turned around and saw Legolas standing there. The feeling in my gut came back. He smiled and went over to me, with his hands clasped behind his back, and enjoyed the view. In the corner of my eye, I watched him where he stood, just to see what he would do.

"Isn't it a beautiful moon tonight?" he asked, but I didn't answer.

I felt very uncomfortable now, I wasn't ready to have a conversation with him yet.

"Goodnight." I said, very short and quiet before I turned around and headed to my room, walking in a quick pace.

I took off my clothes and laid them down on the stump, before I crawled into my bed where I fell asleep at once.


	9. A new friend

**Hello world! :)**

**I really enjoyed writing this chapter, so I hope you'll enjoy reading it :)**

**PegasusWingsVW: Haha, good to hear and you're welcome :) I'm impressed if you do, but as the story goes on - don't spoil something for the other readers! ^^)**

**KiyaJinnSkywalkerKenobi: I'm glad to hear so :) I do my best with the updates, and I really try to update one/day, but sometimes I just don't have enught time or think that the story needs some polishing. Bur I do my best! :)**

**flaming-amber: Well, it isn't a love story and I don't think it will be the main genre of this story. But just remember, she's very young (Only about 40! Which is about 17 in human years) so just keep that in your mind :3  
I know right! And no worries, I understand :)**

I rested my back against the bark of the gray, solid tree - I sat on a branch about fourteen feet above the ground.

The sun was just about to hide behind the mountains which caused the sky to break into beautiful colors. This was the end of my thirty third day here, thus about five weeks. My lessons with Elrond went well and he now told me about how the kingdoms of Middle-Earth had come to be. I still refused to let anyone follow me into the woods, which I saw worried Elrond, since being away from it had made me down. For I had forgotten the sound of running animals, as well as the feeling of my feet running on branches.

I had no control of what happened out there, and it worried me.

Some elves went to the open area next to the tree, it was a patio of stone. Some of them carried a couple of different instruments, while others gathered in front of them. They divided into couples of two and together they made an outer circle with five couples and in the middle of it there stood a couple as well.

The couples began to move as the fingers, which belonged to a maid with long, brown hair, began to play on the strings of a harp, and a man in shorter black hair moved a flute to his lips, and two maidens sang a slow and beautiful song. The couples moved slow at the beginning, but the tempo grew more intense as the song speed up.

The couples palms met and they slowly went in a circle before bowing and turning around, so they faced a new partner. They bowed and placed their palms against each other again, as they circled around and turned to their original partner. They took each other hands and waltzed around the couple in the middle, which waltzed around as well. As the verse ended the maidens spun into the arms of a new partner, just to start the dance all over again.

Beautiful laughs filled the evening and I smiled as I looked at the dancers. They seemed to have fun. I felt an urge to join them, but I didn't as I still felt uncomfortable around people. Fortunately Legolas hadn't tried to talk to me anymore before he and Aragorn left Rivendell a couple of weeks ago.

I watched them dance for something that felt like hours. As the darkness fell they lit the lamp posts and carried on. One maiden suddenly bowed and left, leaving her partner all by himself. He looked a bit down. As his gaze looked out over the trees, his eyes found mine. He smiled and waved at me.

"Come and dance with me?" he called out and grinned.

The most of the elves knew of me, during my time in Rivendell I had noticed that elves enjoy gossiping a lot. Everyone knew who I was, since it's not every day you find an elf in the woods, and they always greeted me by my name.

I climbed down from where I sat and jumped the last six and a half feet, landing in a flexed position with one knee bent as the other one was stretched out to the side and with my hands placed on the ground. This was the reason I preferred pants and a tunic instead of a dress.

I was a bit unsure of what to do, should I accept his invitation or should I sneak off? I know that he, as well as any of them, won't hurt me. Elrond wants me to make some friends, and they seemed to have a lot of fun.

I slowly went through the trees and bushes to come out to the patio. The other elves had kept on dancing, but the one who had called for me approached me with his hand reached out.

His hair was a creamy color and his eyes were light brown, almost like honey. I decided to take his hand as I did he immediately pulled me into the dancing circle.

The tempo was faster than before and I was spinned around to change partner, with whom I waltzed around with on the spot, just to be spinned around to my next partner.

I gave a laugh as I spun, I looked up and saw the stars circling above me. I felt joy inside of me, which I hadn't felt in such a long time. I kept spinning from partner to partner, but suddenly the one that should have caught me wasn't there to catch me.

I looked about me and saw that everyone that had been my partner were staring at me, everyone with the same look. The gaze was confused, a bit amazed, but scared. I remembered that they had felt my thoughts as they were shared through our palms, they had never experienced anything like that before.

The dance had stopped, so had the music. No one said anything, but just looked at me.

My heart beated faster, and my body was filled with adrenaline. I backed off towards the entrance, turned around and began to run.

I ran through halls and rooms I had never passed nor seen before, hurrying without knowing where to go. I came out to a small balcony I had never been to before.

It had a floor made of white, flat stones, and a well stood in the middle. I stood at the railing, a white stone wall, and my hands felt the cold stone. I felt something wet on my cheek and wiped away a tear with the end of my tunic.

_I don't belong here!_

I wanted to scream out to the world, but it would do no good.

I heard light steps behind me and concentrated on not shaking, which of course didn't work. Elrond stopped next to me, and I bowed my head so he couldn't see my red eyes. I bit my lips and clenched my fists, trying not to let out a cry.

He gave a sad sigh and looked at me.

xxx

_It had gone so well_

Elrond thought with a sigh as he saw Edengwen flee from the, not longer, dancing elves. He followed her in a moderate pace, as he saw that she had went in through a door which did only lead one way.

xxx

"I do not belong here." I quietly cried out.

"I am not meant to be here." I continued and looked up at the stars.

He turned to me with a soft look on his face.

"Of course you belong here. If the Valar whadn't meant for us to find you, then we wouldn't have." he said comforting and took my hand.

_Your heart only belongs where you want it to,_

He thought, and I somehow felt a little bit better.

xxx

**Four weeks later**

The soft brush ran through my golden-white hair, which made it look like silk. My eyes, which were as green as leaves in the spring, shone as the sunshine touched it. I was, for once, wearing an easy white dress, made of a silky and light fabric.

I took my favorite hairclip from the table, a small butterfly in gold, and pulled back two mid thick strings from the front of my hair to the back of my head, where I attached the clip. They had have my hair cut, so now it only reached down to my shoulder-blades.

I left my room and my bare feet enjoyed the coolness of the floor. The maiden Iveril had informed me that today's lessons with Elrond had been canceled, as he would be busy tracking down a pack of orcs that had been seen, not too far away from Rivendell.

I enjoyed the sun as I walked to my favorite place in Rivendell - the balcony I had discovered a couple of weeks ago. I sang a melody as I entered the archway to the balcony and went towards the railing, as, I thought, no one was around.

"_To the Sea, to the Sea! The white gulls are crying,_

_The wind is blowing, and the white foam is flying._

_West, west away, the round sun is falling._

_Grey ship, grey ship, do you hear them calling,"_

It was a song about the elves traveling west, across the seas to Valinor. I liked the stories of Valinor, it seemed beautiful and peaceful. I hoped to see it with my own eyes sometime, but I knew that if you ever traveled there then you could never return.

"_The voices of my people that have gone before me?_

_I will leave, I will leave the woods that adore me;"_

I had changed the last word from "bore me," to "adore me,", since I know for sure that the woods never will bore me.

"You have a beautiful voice." I heard someone say behind me.

I turned around and saw a man sit on a bench made out of stone. He had brown hair, probably as long as my, and big deep-blue eyes, which shimmered in the sun. He closed the book we was reading with care, making sure not to ruin it, and laid it on the bench.

He stood and walked, with his hands clasped behind his back, towards me. He looked down at the floor as he continued;

"_For our days are ending and our years failing._

_I will pass the wide waters lonely sailing."_

He sang with the most beautiful voice I have ever heard, as soothing as running water, as rich as deep as the voice of the wind. Rich, sweet and tender. He smiled vaguely to the song and looked up at me, just to bow his head in politeness and respect.

"How impolite of me, not to introduce myself. My name is Lindir, son of Hádhon." he said with his hand on his heart.

I looked at him with curiosity. He wasn't like everyone else, but I couldn't put my finger on why.

As I didn't say anything he continued the song.

"_Long are the waves on the Last Shore falling,_

_Sweet are the voices in the Lost Isle calling,"_

I joined him on the last part.

"_In Eressea, in Elvenhome that no man can discover,_

_Where the leaves fall not: land of my people for ever!"_

Silence.

"My name is Edengwen, daughter of no one." I said a bit stern, with an observant, yet interested, look on my face.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Edengwen daughter of no one." he said with a crooked smile.

"If you don't mind me asking, how come you're here all by yourself?" he asked.

I looked down at my hands. During my time here I had acted as if I hadn't seen the other elves, and the most of them had left me to be, with the exceptions of politeness. I guessed the rumor of my 'power' had spread, since people tend to stay away from me ever since the incident with the dance.

But this Lindir seemed neither anxious nor downhearted of being around me. What I'd seen from his actions and in the way he spoke, I got the feeling that he didn't judge me. Actually, he seemed to be very fine in my company.

I shook my shoulders as a response to his question.

"It's greatly easier to think when you're on your own." I said, which was true, but wasn't the only one.

The other reason of me being alone is that I had no one to be with, as Elrond was occupied on other ways

"I see." he said and looked out at the valley.

"The woods are very beautiful this time of the year." he said after a moment of silence.

As the wind ruffled my hair I looked out at the valley as well and thought back at my home. I felt a sting in my chest, I felt extremely homesick. The elf beside me saw my eyes, that were filled with depression.

"You must miss it very much." he said with great compassion in his voice.

I nodded slowly and my eyes stung as I held back my tears, I was still looking at the view.

He looked upon me with sympathy and raised his hand to place it on my shoulder, but I pulled back as his hand got close, and he lowered it.

He placed his hands on the wall, and looked out at the tops of the trees. The fabric of his purple velvet robe moved in the wind, along with his hair.

We remained still and in silence for a good while.

"Where did you live?" he suddenly asked and looked over at me.

I smiled at the ground.

"I used to sleep inside of a great tree, right in the centre of the forest." I described.

"What do you miss the most?" he softly asked.

I turned my head and looked him right in the eyes.

"The freedom." I answered quietly and looked down at my hands as I finished.

He nodded slowly understanding, as he looked down at the floor. He thought deeply, before he opened his mouth again.

"Would you like to visit it?" he asked and looked upon me, with questionly eyes.

"Of course I would, it's my home." I answered surprised as I searched for clues in his face.

Why did he even ask me? Wasn't it obvious?

He slowly walked towards the entrance, with my eyes of curiosity on him. He turned around and looked at me.

"The come." he said casually and made a nod with his head in the direction he was heading for, before he continued his walk.

I found myself following him away from the balcony.

xxx

**I came up with the name of Lindirs dad on my own, or well, I used a generator thingy ^^)**

**AND, I do not own the song, I found it on: **


	10. There's no place like home

**Okay guys, I want so many as possible to answer this question:  
Do you want me to write long, 'few' chapters (about +2500 words) or would you like me to write many, short chapters (1500-2500 words)?  
Please answer, even if you don't usally write Reviews - I just want to know what I should do! :)**

**KiyaJinnSkywalkerKenobi: Haha, I'm glad you like it - it makes me very happy! :D  
*****being mysterious* I'm not saying that romance wont occur at all (neither am I saying that it will) but it's just not the main genre of this story ;)**

I had the wind in my hair and the sun in my eyes, as we raced.

Trees passed by as gray illusions and the horses zigzagged between the trees. I had borrowed a black stallion from the stable of Rivendell, I had liked his spirit.

I rode without saddle or bridle, because my horse, Túon, and I communicated through our thoughts. I showed him the way and he ran so fast that it felt like we flew. Lindir and his horse tried to catch us up, but they didn't manage to.

We burst into the glade and Túon slowed down, I slide down and landed on my feet. I gave a bright smile and breathed in the forest; the leaves, the flowers, the wet grass, the fresh breeze. I had missed this so much!

Lindir, and his brown horse, joined us where we stood and he jumped off as well to stand next to me.

Birds were singing and tweeting to each other. The whole forest shone in bright green all the way from the ground to the leaves - beautiful. The nature in front of us was indescribable.

Imagine great trees reaching up high above your head, the green leaves against the silver-gray branches, light breaking through the foliage causing small, golden spotlights.

I saw a white figure fly above me and land on a small branch right next to me. I reached out my hand and pulled my fingers through his feathers.

_**Warmth**__, __**joy**__, Hello you,_

I thought and he greeted me back. I felt that he had missed me, as much as I had him. He stretched out his wings, they sparkled beautifully when the sunshines touched them, and raised his head in a defending position, his golden beak let out a threatening hiss at Lindir.

I sighed and placed my palm on his head to calm him down.

_**Safe,**_

I showed him that there was no need to worry, that Lindir was not a danger. He hissed low in reply and flew over to a tree nearby, to watch us on distance.

"I'm sorry, he's not very fond of people." I said to Lindir.

"There's no need to be, I understand." he replied and looked about.

"It truly is beautiful, I understand why you are so fond of it." he continued with a smile on his lips, turning to me again.

I nodded and went forward to my tree, it looked the same as when I had left it. I placed my hands on the bark and felt its' spirit flow into my body. The depth and wisdom overwhelmed me, even if I had felt the spirit a hundred times it always felt like the first time.

I jumped up and grabbed the great branch, which was closest to the ground, and swung myself up. I looked into the 'tree-cave' and saw that everything was in its' order - nothing had been moved or taken.

I stood and jumped to another branch, one higher above the ground. From there I climbed towards the sealing of leaves. As I got closer the sunshines shone brighter on my skin.

"My lady?" I heard Lindir call from the ground.

My head broke through the leaves, the great strength of the wind blew in my face so strong that I thought my hair would fly away. I laugh hard into the wind, letting it spread my sound waves in the air. I looked out at the green, trembling ocean.

Lindirs head broke through the leaves next to me. He gave a wide smile and let himself enjoy the cold and misty wind against his face.

I looked at him, his face was filled with such love and respect for the woods. I was impressed, actually, I hadn't met anyone that seemed to understand the purpose of every single living thing before, he earned an ounce of my respect. He turned to me with a laugh.

"Come, let me show you something." I said, calm and curiously.

We climbed down some branches until we came to the great, low branch, where I took of my slipper-like shoes of leather and threw them to the ground, so my feet could feel the surface of the nature. Unfortunately, I wouldn't be able to run without tripping on my dress. Of all of the days my normal clothes had to be washed, this would have been the worse.

Lindir landed right behind me. He wore a velvet robe, which meant that he wouldn't be able to run he as well. I lift up the bottom of my dress a bit, so I could walk without risking tripping on it. Without telling him where we were heading, I lead him through the forest.

Birds flew over our heads, and squirrels ran across our feet.

"So what would you do during the days?" Lindir asked me.

He went beside me on the, very, thick branch, and looked over at me. I looked down at my feet and smiled to myself as I remembered my days in the woods. I didn't feel a need to be suspicious, or to act quarrelsome about him. From what I had seen of him, he adored the woods almost as much as I do.

"I would just be." I answered merrily.

"The forest gives me peace, the atmosphere makes me feel like I'm in a dream. As I feel the beings of these woods I feel the forest itself. It provides me with necessaries, and protects me." I continued.

He gave an understanding nod.

"I enjoy the woodlands as well. It's the greatest place to come to, if in need of thinking, or finding answers to what you should do." he said.

I completely understood him - the forest would give you peace in your mind, to think. But only if they approved you. Trees are wonderful things, but can be sneaky as well - if you don't respect it, so to speak.

The sound of falling water interrupted my thoughts.

"We're almost there!" I said content and hurried my steps.

We jumped down to the ground and found ourselves at a greater stream. A small waterfall had been composed by some cliffs, about six and a half foot high. The waterfall was wide, it almost looked like a huge piece of fabric that was pulled down on top of the stream.

"Follow me." I said as I faced him.

I approached the waterfall and jumped right into it.

Cold waterdrops covered my hair and my dress. I found myself standing in the, relatively, dark space behind the waterfall, it was a small cave - just a pair of feet deep. The light shone in through the water which caused an odd light on the walls.

"Edengwen?" Lindir called questionly, a bit anxious.

"Just jump!" I called back.

After a moment the shadow of Lindir could be seen outside the glass-like water. He pulled his fingers through the water before he jumped through it.

As he saw where we stood he gasped and gave a smile. His eyes flicked about from the water to the cave.

"It's magnificent." he said in a low voice.

xxx

We strolled about in the forest for the rest of the day. We picked berries as we got hungry, and we drank water from the streams if we were thirsty. I told him about my time here and he asked me questions.

"_Every morning I would watch the sun rise. I would see the stars be replaced with the light blue sky, and hear the forest awaken." _

I had told him.

"_Didn't you ever feel lonely?"_

He asked me at a later moment.

"_No." I answered with a smile._

"_The forest and it's beings was my company." I continued and looked up to the sky._

"_Some were very fond to me." I added quietly, and Lindir looked at me from the corner of his eye._

We came back to the horses first when the sun had began to fall from the sky.

"They will worry if we stay here any longer." he stated as he sat up on his horse.

"I know." I said.

I felt no urge to leave, but to stay here for eternity. I looked about me one more time, and gasped as I saw who stood at the other side of the glade.

The white horse trotted forward but stopped in the center, to reach out his head widen his nostrils. He couldn't decide either to stay or to run away, I did not blame him for not recognizing me - I had been gone for over two months, and had visually changed a bit too.

I slowly approached him, Lindir was quiet where he sat. I reached out my hand and the horse slowly pressed his nose against my palm, blowing out hot air as I confirmed that I was me.

We shared memories, I showed him what I had been up to for the last couples of weeks. I let him know how much I'd missed him, and he me.

"We cannot longer." Lindir said after an amount of time.

_**I rode the white horse back to Rivendell,**_

That was the picture the horse sent me.

I smiled. He would go back with me!

xxx

Elrond went back and forth in his study.

_They should have come back by now!_

He thought as he went to the balcony, to look for them one more time. The woodlands are dangerous at night time, for it was the time of the day the most evil creatures preferred the most.

From the balcony, he was able to see the whole of Rivendell, and to his delight he saw Edengwen and Lindir walk in the garden. She said something and Lindir laughed.

He smiled, and was happy that she had finally found a friend, someone else than himself. He constantly worried for her.


	11. Chapter 10

**Hello again! :)  
Here's another one for you, enjoy!  
Please make my day by writing a short review of what you think of the story, and if you'd like me to write, not so many, long chapters, or many short chapters! :D**

*Knock, knock, knock*

I stood from the stump, which I had been sitting on, even if I preferred to sit outside in the sun - today I felt to be alone. With a sigh i closed the book I had been reading, one about botanize. It made an interesting reading, I had just learned about which plants and herbs that could be used for healing and where they grew. Since Elrond had learned me how to write and read about a month ago, my 9th week here, and I had spent many hours of my spare time with a book in my hands.

I approached the door and put down my book on my bed as I passed it.

A wrinkle of confusion played between my eyebrows - for I have not heard those knocks before, and no one would disrupt me unless it was important.

I opened the door and found myself looking at a old man with a long, white beard. His robe were gray, so was the pointy hat on his head. But as the light touched the old fabric I saw that it had a nuance of purple. In his right hand he held a wooden staff. As he looked down at me he gave a joyful smile and his eyes shone brighter, just as if he had finally received something he had been waiting for for ages. His stretched smile caused his eyes to be framed of small wrinkles.

"Ah, lady Edengwen." he said and bowed.

"I must say, it's a pleasure to meet you. I intended to come here a long time ago, but I've been occupied in other ways." he stated.

"You seem familiar with my name, yet you have not told me yours." I answered polite but curious.

"My name, is Gandalf the grey, but to your kin I'm known as Mithrandir." he added cheerfully.

A bell rang in my head. _Mithrandir_, I had heard that name before. Elrond had mentioned a wizard called Mithrandir a couple of times, he had told me about his adventures, even his most recent one including dwarves, a dragon and a hobbit.

"Then I welcome you, for I have heard about a Mithrandir, who is a friend of my people." I stated polite and bowed.

I'm not into such formalities, but Elrond had urged me to act polite, at least on first meetings - so I did my best.

I felt a bit suspicious to the man in front of me, he seemed to be too kind to just have met me. But he wasn't intruding, therefor I wasn't afraid of him.

"Would you care to join me for a walk? " he asked mildly.

I looked back into my room, my gaze fell upon the book on my bed. I would prefer to catch up on my reading, rather than strolling about the buildings. I looked back at Mithrandir, who slightly tilted his head and raised his eyebrows, giving me a hoping look. I sighed to myself and gave a nod.

"It would be my pleasure." I said, but I didn't seem too convincing.

I thought myself see his smile stretch a bit wider. We followed the corridor in a leisurely pace, heading towards the gardens.

"I understand lord Elrond have taught you well." he suddenly said, referring to my speech and reading.

"He has." I answered shortly, hoping that we would walk the rest of the way in silence, but the wizard thought otherwise.

"He's very fond of you." Mithrandir continued, turning his head to me.

Why did he tell me this?

"I hope you understand that." he added, in a lower voice.

I gave a shy nod, as I felt a bit embarrassed. Lord Elrond always cared for me, always wanted to make sure that I was happy and satisfied. But he still wouldn't have me walking alone the the woods.

"Just not enough, I guess." I stated quietly and extended my steps.

Mithrandir stopped up and looked at me with a sigh, before he tried to catch up on me. We continued our walk in silence and sat down on a wooden bench.

"Rumours of you have escaped the lands of Rivendell, you have become quite a topic." he said, glad yet serious.

"And what do these people believe of me?" I asked in a sigh, a bit ignorant.

He looked out over the valley, his gaze continued to the valley.

"Some believe in it, other don't." he answered and I snorted.

I did not care for peoples opinion, certainly not those who don't believe in me. Mithrandir turned and looked at me with great respect before he continued.

"The Valar must have considered you as most extraordinary, to give you such a gift." he said and gave a nod in respect.

"Why not the otherway around?" I said with confidence, without being rude, and looked up at him with the twinkle in my eye.

He looked back at me a bit surprised, raised eyebrows and his mouth made a small O. But after a second or two he broke into a smile and showed of his white teeth and the wrinkles around his eyes, which gave me a small smile on my lips before I continued.

"Maybe I was so extremely ordinary, that they _had_ to make me special." I stated, with a clever smile on my lips.

He looked astute back at me before he began to laugh, and placed his hand on my shoulder.

"You will never be, nor have you ever been, ordinary." he said.

He must totally have forgotten the power of mine, for the top of his fingers touched the skin of my shoulder. I fell deep into his mind.

I was surrounded by so much wisdom, i felt it, along hit his age and all the beautiful and horrible things he had seen. I felt his concern for the world, as well as how much he loved every single thing in this world.

He pulled back his hand before I could discover more.

"I'm so sorry, I did not intend to expose you." he said, a bit down.

He didn't seem to have been bothered that I could see right in to his mind, and after what I had seen and felt I sure had no problem with him looking into me.

"C-can I… May I?" I managed to say, still thrilled, and reached my hand towards his.

I just had to discover more about this extraordinary fellow. He gave a nod and I took his hand in mine without hesitating.

We sat like that for hours, his mind did never seem to end, and I could feel as he went through my memories. I now felt total trust in this man, this Maia of Valar. He wouldn't hurt a fly, he believed in what was good in this world, he believed in the smallest of things. I let go of him first when I knew him as good as I knew myself, and as I let go he knew me as well as I knew him.

I gave him a vague smile, which he returned.

"I understand." he said, referring to how much I loved the woods and how much I'd like to come back. Lindir and I had visited my home two times since our first, but I wished to leave on my own, at least one time.

"Elrond only mean for you to be safe and sound, but I'll talk to him and see what I can do." he said with compassion and sympathy, I knew he understood.

I gave him a wide smile in return.

We stood and began to walk back to the houses. The sky had began to darken, and the horizon was yellow and read, the wind blew chilly. The elves had began to light lamps and candles, causing it to look like stars that had fallen to the ground. He went up an alley, taking another way back then we took down to the garden. The elves song filled the night.

As we came to the grand staircase we met Elrond, who had taken an evening walk around Rivendell. He smiled as he saw us and bowed his head.

"I see you finally have met each other." he said.

"Yes, we have." Mithrandir answered and looked at me.

"My lord, if you wouldn't mind I'd be pleased to talk to you in private." he continued and winked to me and I smiled back.

Elrond looked a bit confused, but he didn't ask anything but bowed his head towards Mithrandir and made a hand gesture towards his study.

"Shall we then." he said and turned to me.

"Edengwen, sleep well - I bless your dreams." he said and I bowed my head in return.

xxx

"So, you have seen her soul." Elrond said and poured up some of his finest wine in two glasses.

He reached out one to Mithrandir, who took it and thanked him. Elrond sat down on the chair opposite to him, taking a slow sip from the wine.

"Yes I have, as well as she saw my." Mithrandir answered.

"She _let_ me search through her mind." he continued and took a sip from the whine as well.

"She has never opened so much to someone before." Elrond stated quietly.

He was but a bit offended. After all, he had done his best to comfort her. But he guessed that it didn't matter, what did matter was that they might could figure out who she is and where she belongs. If the person who had left her alone in the woods still were alive, Elrond would make sure to make her justice.

"And what did you see?" he continued.

"She does not know anything about her past." Mithrandir said and Elrond sighed in resignation.

"She just want to take care of her forest, let her do so, if only for a day." he continued and tilted his head to the side, giving Elrond a meaningful look. He had taken off his hat a while ago, it now laid on the table.

"The darkness is growing stronger. Gandalf, I will not have her alone out there unless I know she's safe!" Elrond answered with a raised voice. He sighed and calmed himself down.

"I cannot leave her all on her own." he said and gave the old wizard a dismal look.

"Just for a couple of hours, in daylight?" Mithrandir begged, for he had felt her pain of being away from her home.

"It's not safe, you know it well." Elrond replied.

"She has lived there for decades, she can take care of herself for a couple of hours!" Mithrandir said annoyed.

Elrond knew that the wizard probably was right, but he could not unse what had happened to his wife. Since the incident with the orcs he didn't like the idea of lonely women in the woods.

"You will have to trust her, and she will trust you back." Mithrandir added and Elrond began to feel defeated - he would probably have to give her a couple of hours on her own.

xxx

**Hey guys? I'd really like you to answer a question:  
****Do you want me to write a couple of 'few' but long chapters (about +2500 words) or would you like me to write many, short chapters (1500-2500 words)  
****Please, please answear!**

**Goodnight! :)**


	12. Chapter 11

**Whait what? Am I not dead? Have I not vanished into pure dust? Well, the thruth is that I've just had a lots to do in school. Maybe you understand how occupied I've been when I say that I've spared all of my free-time minutes to write this chapter (I wrote 3/4 of it this evening btw).  
But now I'm free for a couple of days before I'll have to go back to hell (yup), and I'll try to update every other day now again :)  
I've read your comments and have decided to write longer chapters but I'll still try to update quickly, one time or two I'll write two shorter chapters in a row and the will then be published with just a day in between, hope you feel good about it? :)**

**Enjoy your reading!**

"This contains water and some bread." Elrond said as he gave me a one-strapped, sack-like bag. It was made of a strong, brown fabric, almost like leather, and not quite large - to my relief. He turned around and picked up something from the table, before he turned back to me again. A horn made of silver rested in his palms. It had golden details and was twisted beautifully, maybe about eight inches long.

"If anything goes wrong, use this and help will come." he continued seriously.

"I will." I answered and laid it in the bag.

I was a bit too excited to take it as serious as him - I would finally visit my forest all by myself!

This was something I had longed for, to go back to my old life, even if it just was for a couple of hours. Mithrandir had talked to Elrond yesterday, just as he had promised me. I was filled joy when I heard that he would stay in Rivendell for a couple of weeks, which meant that would be here until I left for the woods of Lothlórien.

Elrond followed me down to the archway-gate, where I whistled four times - I had showed my horse that I would whistle four times when I required him, and he had approved. As we waited for him to appear Elrond looked deep into my eyes, with a wrinkle in concern between his eyebrows.

"Be careful." he said in a low tone.

I looked back at him blissfully.

"I will be just fine." I said and he smiled, vague, back at me. Elrond tend to be a bit overprotective, but why I do not know.

The sound of hoofs interrupted my thoughts and the white horse gracefully ran up to us. He bent his neck and 'nodded', as horses sometimes do, flaunting himself. Elrond smiled at him.

"Len suilon." he said in the elvish language. (I greet you)

I didn't really understand how it worked, but horses seemed to understand Elvish - I hadn't concentrated very hard when Elrond had explained it to me, I had spent the whole night reading a book.

I, smoothly, jumped up on the horse and he fired like a gun. I have Elrond a gaze over my shoulder - I was very thankful that he had approved to this.

xxx

"Hahaha!" I laughed - It felt like I flew. My eyes were closed and my arms were stretched out to the sides, like wings. The wind blew in my face and catched the ends of my tunic. Birds song filled the morning, so did the sound from the dazzling leaves. I could do this for hours. But I only had hours before I had to head back, and I wanted to do a lots of things before it was too late.

I showed him a picture of the waterfall and he changed our direction. It occurred to me that it might was time to give him a name, as a sign of respect, and then it would be much easier to talk about him. I recalled:

"_Have you seen any signs of him?" I'd asked one of the elves who took care of the stables._

"_Who?" he had answered._

__"_The horse." I tried._

"_I'm sorry, but which horse?" he had asked right back at me, very confused and a bit annoyed._

_*Sigh*_

__"_The same horse I asked about yesterday morning." I answered him, impatiently._

It would be much easier to ask for _someone_, rather than _something_.

But I don't know elvish, so I had to look at that when I came back to Rivendell. I'd prefer a elvish name, since it felt like it contained more power. I want to give him a true name, a name to be proud of.

We approached the waterfall and I jumped off his back. It's time to indulge myself.

I stepped into the cold, fresh water - not caring that the bottom of my pants got wet. I made a jump to the opposite side - the stream wasn't wide, just about eight feet - and quickly climbed up in a tree. Jumping from branch to branch I moved with speed through the forest, I knew exactly where I wanted to go.

The gray bark and green leaves of the trees were replaced with brown, knobby bark and silky, golden leaves, and the new trees grew higher to the sky. The ground was now uneven and rocky, ridges and great bushes had replaced the flat and empty soil. I jumped down from the branches as I came to a glade.

White flowers, which I'd learned was called 'daisy' in the common tongue, grew in the center and reached up towards the sky as high as they could induce, attempting to catch the light of the sun. Deep green moss covered the great rock face I went towards. It was the foot of a, quite great, hill and the stones that used to cover the wall side had by the nature been placed in front of it.

I sat down where the flowers grew, took off and placed the bag I'd gotten from Elrond in front of me. My fingers opened it carefully and ran through the contents, searching for the things I'd asked to be given. I took out and laid down the horn next to me, quickly followed by the small pack of bread and the cloak I'd been given, in order to make it easier to find the items I was looking for. A sigh of relief escaped my throat as I saw the little bottle made out of glass in the bottom of the bag, along with the leather pouches. I placed them next to me and put back the cloak, the horn and the bread.

I picked up the bottle and stood, leaving the bag on the ground. The rocks massaged my feet as I jumped on them to the top of the pile where I knelt. Where the rock curved inwards, a small edge forced small crystal drops to fall to my feet, instead of pouring down the wall. The area above the indentation was covered in moss and the herb Athelas. It was first after I'd read about it and it's power to heal and stop bleeding, since I understood that it was thanks to the herb that gave the water it's potency.

Many years ago, when I was but four feet tall and new to this part of the woods, I climbed the rocks for pleasure's sake and heard the drops' fall. I'd catched the drops with my cupped hands and noticed that as the water touched a scar on my palm, it began to disappear. Ever since, I'd gone here as fast as I got an injure and drunk it when I got a headache. And I wouldn't leave this realm without it.

I removed the cork and placed the bottle so it leaned against the wall and catched the drops as they fell in a rapid pace. Satisfied, I jumped back to the grass, swung the bags' strap across my shoulder and picked up the leather bags. Not far from here a bunch of bushes with sweet red and black berries grew. I stood and began to walk in the direction towards them.

The wind brushed through my hair and I gave a bright and cheerful giggle, the birds seemed to tweet along my laughter, which made me widen my smile. This was why I loved the nature, everything living is one; one soul, one heart, one voice. Everyone is so important for the survival of everything, and it frightened me to know that I soon would be leaving. What would be of the forest? Would it manage without me? Who would make sure that the flowers wouldn't be ruined, or judge the deers fights, or protect the nestlings?

I picked the berries with care and filled up two of the leather pouches. The berries colored my fingertips and their sweet taste danced on my tongue, nothing could be compared to these, not even the pastries of Rivendell. They tasted like sun and summer, filled with warmth.

I continued strolling about. There was so much I wanted to do now when I finally was here, but I couldn't possibly do them all. I wished to see the bunnies children and how much they had grown, I felt like taking a bath in the stream, as well as join the squirrels in their tag, and visit the other side of the forest. But there was no time - Elrond had given me barely two hours, till the sun stood as highest on the sky. I would be in a hurry if I didn't head back to the great tree of mine soon enough. Having that in mind I turned and moved myself to the glade with the daisies.

xxx

The bottle was almost filled to the top as I got back. I sealed it and placed it carefully in the bag, before I jumped down to the ground and up on a branch, moving back to my tree in a pleasant pace.

A sudden sound made me stop and hold my breath. It came from above me, and sounded like a branch that broke, along with a quiet groan - whatever it was it wasn't an animal. As quick as a fox I jumped to another tree and hid behind it as I picked up the horn Elrond had given me. I wouldn't use it until I'd known what had made that noise, maybe it wasn't anything dangerous. My vains froze as I heard the next thing.

"Oh great, don't tell me I've lost her." a quiet voice said. It was an elf!

I climbed swiftly up the tree and peaked through the leaves. A tall man with long, brown hair and a green tunic - the same color as the leaves - searched the ground. I recognized him, I'd seen him in Rivendell before. But what did he do here?!

"He will have my hair cut if I've lost the girl…" the man continued quietly. I barely heard him, and I certainly wouldn't have if I hadn't stood so close.

It came up to me - Elrond had sent him.

Feelings tumbled inside of me, I wanted to scream and shout but at the same time lay down and cry - I felt betrayed. I had trusted him, but he had not trusted me, he had broken his promise!  
As the elf ran the opposite way from me I climbed down to the nearest branch and began to run as fast as I could. A tear escaped the corner of my eye but I wiped it away, how could he had done this to me? He had denied me my freedom, my only freedom for the past three and a half months! My sadness passed to anger, which caused me to run faster.

I burst into the glade-like environment and my gaze immediately searched for the white horse. I found him not too far away from there, and he raised his head as he heard me approaching. I jumped up to his back and showed him what had happened as he ran through the woods, towards the cause of my mood.

xxx

"Edengwen, I had not expected you to come back yet for a while?" Elrond asked questioning with a raised eyebrow as he watched me enter through the large doors from where he stood by the balcony.

I just stopped and looked at him, with clenched fists. Did he just play along? He seemed to care not that he had lied to me straight to my face. Why would he do that? For these past weeks I had grown very fond of him, and I always came to him when in need of advice or when I had something on my mind. Had he just tricked me all along? For sure he had not found trust in my promise to be careful and to return to Rivendell after given time.

"What is it? Is something wrong? Are you hurt?" he continued as he approached me slowly, his hand reached out towards me, and a wrinkle played between his eyebrows. I pulled back from his hand and slowly shook my head at him, my eyes were narrowed.

"How could you?" I said, rather than asked, quietly. "It was all a lie?"

His face plained and he let his hand hall back and reunite with his other in front of him. He looked down to the ground.

"So you found out." he stated, resigned and ashamed.

"What else have you lied about!?" I yelled at him, incapable of controlling myself. "Will I not be given my freedom back after this year in prison?" I hissed and I saw a hurt pass on his face, before it quickly turned back to normal.

"I only meant for you to be safe." he said and looked me in the eyes. His were filled with regret and softness, but mine still burned as a fire. Before he could continue, I had stormed out his study and headed to the garden where I hoped to find Mithrandir. He was the only one I knew I could trust, and he would take me in and give me the comfort and consolation I needed.


	13. Chapter 12

**Hello world,**

**I just want to begin with saying that I imagine Iveril to look as Clara from the Robin Hood episode (show: Doctor Who) soo if your like me and want to make up in your mind what the characters looks like, then make a quick google search :)  
And while writing this chapter I realised that I in an earlier chapter said that Lindir had blue eyes (he has brown) and I wrote wrong because I mixed him up with Figwit (yes to me they're the same character xD)**

**Muirgen79: Well, I haven't really promised anything - I just said that I'll try to publish a new chapter every other day now when I'm free for a couple of days, but when I'll have to go back to school then I'll probably have to publish with at least three days in between :( But I totaly know what you mean - A promise is useless as long as it's not lived up to!**

**Thranduil: Wow thank you! :D It really means a lot to hear it, and here you go! :3**

**KiyaJinnSkywalkerKenobi: He really is! I'll do my best but here you go ^^)**

**Bluemountainfairy: Well, she doesn't really have a place to go to though :/ But I know what you mean :)**

**xxx**

"I do not understand how he could do that to me, he promised me!" I said dejected, with a trembling voice and looked down at my hands in my lap. I remembered the look Elrond had had on his face, it had been a picture of remorse and regret. But I couldn't just ignore the fact that he had sent someone after me, he had broken his promise to me and I could not trust him anymore.

Leaves from the tree behind the bench we sat on danced in the wind. It was the time of the year for the leaves of red and yellow to be replaced with new and green ones. The autumn had come and brought the nuances of orange, red and brown. Pumpkins were used as decoration, as well in the food and warm cloaks had become more common.

"He had no right to so." the wizard said and looked at me with compassion. "But he meant well."  
I looked up and let my gaze meet his. I had shown him everything that had happened during my visit. Now, his blue eyes of wisdom looked deep into my soul, he probably was right, but…

"You knew about this?" I said with my eyebrows pressed together, causing a wry wrinkle to appear. Had he lied to me as well?

"When he shared what he had in mind I strongly recommended him to leave you alone, but even I cannot order the lord of Rivendell. It was his choice, and his alone." he continued and the stone in my chest was replaced with relief.

"I trusted him." I shook my head slowly and looked out at the valley in front of us. My fists clenched. "Who knows what other lies he has told me... What if it's all been an inveracity? That I won't be allowed to return to my home after this year has passed…" My fists relaxed and my chest was filled with sorrow. If he wouldn't allow me to return to my home then I would fade of sorrow.

Mithrandir gave a vague smile and covered my hand with his.

_When this year has passed you _will _be set free, I promise,_

I felt the truth in his words and allowed myself to smile. I could feel in his soul that he would never mean to harm me, in any sort of way. Whenever I will be in need of support or advices he will always be there for me.

xxx

**Two weeks later**

"Miss Edengwen, may I enter?" the melodious voice, which belonged to Iveril the maiden, called outside the door.

"You may." I answered in a sigh from where I sat on the floor in front of the grand mirror, slowly letting the brush move through my tangle-free platinum blonde hair. She closed the door behind her as she entered and stopped to look at me, letting out a sigh of stupefaction as she saw how restless I was.

"Have you brushed your hair the whole morning?" she asked with a raised eyebrow and her arms crossed in front of her. I let out a affirmative mumble and she took the brush away from me and laid it down on the soft bed.

"I thought we had talked about this," she said as she helped me up from the floor. "Read a book or visit the gardens, do something instead of just sit here." she said, as usual. But I preferred to spend my alone-time in my room, since I didn't want to risk meeting someone who wanted to talk to me. My room was my haven, my safe nest - and no one had the right to enter without my permission.

"Now," the maiden continued. "Lord Elrond wish to have a word with you with you." she said with compassion.

I didn't know who had told her about what had happen the day weeks ago, but ever since that day she didn't question why I wouldn't go to my lessons. I had just skipped all of my lessons with Elrond, not that I had so many to go to, but still. I avoided all contact with him and the other elves, everyone except Lindir, Iveril and Mithrandir. Mithrandir had tried to convince me to forgive Elrond for lying from me. But, I wasn't _angry_ with him, I just felt deceived. Like I couldn't trust him on anything anymore. And I don't want an apology from him, I want to be left alone.

"It's about your journey, I believe it would be wise to listen to what he has to say." Iveril tried but I just shook my head.

"No." I said and turned to the window, looking out over the valley as the day brought it to life.

"I understand." the maiden said. "I will tell him to send someone who will inform you in his stead." she continued and moved to the door.

"But afterwards I expect you to do something." she said with a warning finger. "Take a walk with master Lindir, he always has a good affect on your mood." she said and I smiled vaguely.

"He's on duty for lord Elrond." I informed her friendly.

"Oh not anymore…" she murmured as she left the room. I snickered by myself to her comment. I like Iveril, she's always kind and respect giving, but you should see her when it comes down to getting her will through.

But she was right though, just the presence of Lindir would instantly made me feel better. He shared my passion for the nature and it's beings, and even if he had seen countless more summers and winters than I had we had developed a strong friendship. For the past few weeks we had spent more of our time together rather than apart. Instead of my lessons I had spent my time by his side, both inside and outside of Rivendell. I had no idea if Elrond knew how much time we spent together or where we went, but this far no one had told me to quit it.

He had even taught her how to dance, which was something I had tried to avoid ever since the incident.

_It was a beautiful evening; the sun was just about to disappear behind the mountains, causing the west part of the sky to burst into the colors of red and yellow, which met the dark sky of the east. The stars had begun to show themselves along with the crescent, elves indulged themselves in a oang not too far away._

_We stepped out onto the great terrasse of stone, my bare feet against the cold stone caused me to shiver. It was surrounded by trees and flowers and faced the river that passed right next to Rivendell._

__"_I will never get used to this view, not now nor in a thousands years." Lindir said with his eyes fixed on the sky, watching the great space and the small lights that filled it._

"_I can only agree with you, the evening truly is delicate." I replied, watching the sky as well and lightly swung my body to the tempo to the music. We stood in silence for a great amount of time, until he turned to me and watched me with his big, brown eyes. A wry smile played on his lips._

__"_May I have this dance." he asked with his silvery voice and I playfully bumped my shoulder into his._

"_I cannot dance and you know it more than well." I replied and let my kind eyes meet his gaze._

"_Then let me teach you?" he said and held out his hand. I looked at it for a moment before I placed my hand in his - I felt his amusement to my anxiousness - and followed him to the middle of the area, not quite sure what would happen. He stopped in the centre of the balcony and carefully placed my free hand on his shoulder before he placed his on mine._

__Just follow me,

_He said through his mind._

_We danced late into the night to the never ending music. I was actually quite good and my feet followed his as we moved faster and faster, as we shared each others joy. We stopped first when the moon stood as highest on the sky._

"_You're quite a pro." he said and smiled at me. "But I believe it's time to withdraw, the hour is late. May I escort you to your room?"_

"_You may, and thank you." I replied with a bright but tired smile._

My thoughts were interrupted by two knocks on the door. I hurried to open it and bowed my head as I saw who it was.

"My lady." I said and looked up at the gorgeous woman in front of me. Her hair was raven and her eyes were pitch blue, causing her rosy cheeks to stand out. Thus Elrond had sent his daughter in his stead. She bowed her head back at me and I offered her entrance. She sat down on the bed and made a gesture with her hand to sit down next to her. She regarded me with kindness as I moved closer.

"I hope you have enjoyed your morning so far," she greeted and I replied by giving her a nod.

"My father has sent me to inform you about your journey." she began. "You will leave Rivendell tomorrow morning, along with lord Aragorn and prince Legolas of the Mirkwood realm." she continued, the two men had been here for a week now but I had managed to avoid speaking to them. No one had told me, until now, that they were the ones to accompany me on my journey but I had had my suspicions.

Reality hit me like a wall - this was really happening, I would be leaving in less than one day! Time had flown by faster than I had believed. I felt joy bubble up inside of me, a third of my year had passed, I would soon be returning home. But then I felt a sting of hesitation - I had to leave Mithrandir and Lindir behind me. I had to leave the only people I trusted and move on to something new, to new people.

"The maidens will prepare a bag for you and provide it with a change of clothes. You can bring a few of your belongings, but remember that you will be traveling light."

"I will have that in mind." I said respectfully and stood. "Was that everything, my lady?"

"I believe so." she replied and stood. Her blue dress danced about her feet as she moved forth with grace. She stopped as she passed me and looked me deep in the eyes with a serious look on her face.

"My father only meant for you to be safe, he only did what he thought was right." she said and I looked down at my feet, feeling a bit ashamed. "You need to understand that he has been very sceptic since the pac of orcs… Assassinated our mother." she continued with great grief in her eyes. "I only hope for you to make a decision that you are proud of." she said as she continued her walk and left me by myself.

Maybe I'd been a bit too cross with him, I hadn't even allowed him to explain himself. I felt regret and shame fill me, I'd been such a childish fool!

To ease the guilt, I left my room and followed the right corridor to the grand staircase, which I smoothly went down and followed the stone-path to the right. I moved through the gardens with swiftness, unnoticed, until I came to the balcony of stone, the one I and Lindir had waltzed about on.

xxx

"I would cover your eyes and make you guess who it was, but with that power of yours it's quite a pointless game." I heard a voice say behind me and I started by the surprise - I had been too caught up in my mind to notice Lindirs approach. I grinned back at him as he came to stand next to me by the railing.

"I thought your presence was needed on duty?" I asked, even if I could imagine the answer.

"It was, but the maiden Iveril of yours had other thoughts of me." he replied, having some difficulties to stay serious. I, on the other hand, laughed out loudly.

"She could make the Valar themselves crawl at her feet." I snickered and he joined me.

"Absolutely." he consented. The sunshines caused the silver circlet on his head to glow, the circlet which showed his rank in the court looked a bit ridiculous in my opinion. His purple tunic-like robe looked lilac in the sunlight, and you could tell that his pants were dark brown and not black.

"What say you about a walk?" he asked and I nodded.

The dry leaves over our heads razzled in the wind, we went on the path that lead through a small forest.

"Tell me, what bothers you?" he asked, noticing that something was wrong by just looking at me.

"Nothing escapes your attention." I said quietly and looked down at the path before me.

"It's concerning lord Elrond, isn't it?" he continued, his voice was overloaded with compassion and was ready to comfort me if needed. I shook my head slowly.

"Sometimes I think you know me even better than I do." I sighed. "I have realized how foolish my actions have been. I have been proving myself to be nothing else but a child." I continued and felt his hand stroke my back, but the fabric kept his skin from touching mine - he couldn't see into my mind. "I have thought of no one but myself for the past weeks."

"Don't put too much blame on yourself, it's understandable that you got upset and you had all rights to be." he said in order to console me.

"I know," I said with a sigh. "But I might have overreacted a bit."

"Maybe a little bit." he replied playfully and I poked him in the side with my elbow with a smile on my lips.

We spent the whole afternoon in the little forest, walking both in silence and giggling along. He told me about the day, not too many years ago, when a pack of dwarves led by Mithrandir himself had arrived outside the gates of Rivendell. He told me about the chaotic dinner they had held, where the dwarves ended up throwing food all about them and singing loud songs as they danced on the tables. The story made me fold myself by laughter, tears of pure joy fell down my cheeks.

"I wish to meet one, someday." I told him and he rolled his eyes at me.

"I honestly think you don't." he replied with a friendly bump into my side, one which I made sure to quickly return.

"Okay mister I-know-everything." I said and he snorted.

"I don't believe you have the patience." he said, smiling, and ogled at me to see how I reacted. But a sudden light made me stop, as I realized what it was I burst out in a great smile.

"The stars have emerged early this evening." I exclaimed. I jumped quickly up in a nearby tree and climbed up to the top, Lindir followed me and sat down next to me on the branch.

"You must be utterly fascinated by those stars." he chuckled. "You seem to never get tired of them."

"How could I?" I said and looked at him with smiling eyes. "They're precious, and pure." my gaze fell back to the fair lights in the sky. "Vala Varda knew what she was doing." I whispered and he hummed in agree. For a moment we sat in silence, just watching the stars. I leaned my head against his solid shoulder, tomorrow would be my last day in his company. I was very fond of him, as I was to him. Our bond was like one between brother and sister, but stronger. As if our souls had been forged together.

"When will you leave for the Lorien realm?" he asked and I seriously began to wonder if he actually could read my thoughts.

"Tomorrow morning." I replied quietly and I felt how he turned his head to look at me. "And I still haven't packed my bag, or said goodbye to Mithrandir. It will feel unnatural to leave the two of you behind… Don't misunderstand me! I long to come home more than anything, but…" I didn't really know how to continue, but Lindir did.

"But you do not feel pleased leaving, the only thing you have ever known, behind." he continued and I turned my head so my forehead was pressed against his shoulder, and the tear that rolled down my cheek was quickly absorbed by the fabric of his robe.

**xxx**

**Sooo, I'm really excited to hear what you think about her and Lindir :3 Please let me know what you think concerning them! 3**


	14. Chapter 13

**Hello again! Hope you're having a good morning/day/evening depending where in the world you live :3  
Here's the next one, anyhow, hope you'll enjoy it! I believe Edengwen's personality has developed a bit, since I now almost can hear her lines in my head before I write them **

**Blue mountain fairy: Well, I hope thats a good thing? O_O**

**KiyaJinnSkywalkerKenobi: Okay I can almost write your whole name without looking at the review now *yay* XP  
And I still have a few cards on my hand *sneaky face*  
But thay can't be the same person! They have different eyecolors, or did Peter just feel like playing a prank with us? :3**

**PegasusWingsVW: Thank you :***

**Muirgen79: Well, time to find out isn't it?!**

**Guest: Well, only time will tell :)**

*A neverending knocking on the door*

"I believe that it's time for you to pull yourself up and out of the bed." Iveril called from outside the door. I yawned as I stretched out and pushed back the soft eiderdown off of me.

"I'm awake!" I called back and held back another yawn.

"You better be! You'll be leaving in one hour so you better hurry." she called and I heard her as she began to walk away.

"Iveril wait!" I yelled and jumped out of the bed. I corrected my nightgown and quickly wrapped myself up in a robe. I tied the belt hard around my waist as I rushed towards the door.

The sun shone in through the window and the sunshines played on my face. It was a beautiful autumn morning; the sun had just peeked up from the horizon and the the trees were dressed in foliages of golden, orange and red. It was a warm and the breeze brought the scent of roses and dry grass with it.

I opened the door and found that Iveril had stopped and was now patiently waiting for me.

"Have you seen Mithrandir this morning?" I asked and stroked a strand of hair back behind my ear, to where it belonged.

"He left the dining room but half an hour ago, but I fear that I do not know where he is now." she answered. I thanked her and she bowed her head, before turning around and heading down the corridor.

Where could he be in this hour? I asked myself before my face lit up and I hurried down the corridor - I might have an idea of where he would be.

The stone floor felt cool underneath my feet as I ran, holding up the robe a bit so I wouldn't stumble on it. I badly wanted to have a word with Mithrandir before we left, maybe he could ease the nervosity I felt.

I followed the halls, those I knew well by now, and ran across a narrow pathway, one of those which were built 'in the air'. I came to the green little hill on the other side and followed the path that lead around it. There I found him, as expected.

He sat on a stone bench, with his staff right next to him, and smoked on his pipe while watching the sunrise, his back facing me. The smoke tickled inside of my nose which caused me to wrinkle it, but it was too late.

"Atjo!" I sneezed, my head tossed forwards and my hair messed up completely as it fell out from its position and in front of my face. I heard, as I couldn't see anything but my light hair, Mithrandir chuckle at me. I pulled back my hair and saw the amusement in his eyes, which caused me to smile as well.

I sat down next to him on the bench, on the side from which the wind blew from.

"I do not quite understand what you find so precious about that thing." I said, referring to the pipe in his hand.

Instead of replying, he moved the pipe to his mouth before he breathed in the tobacco. He lowered the pipe again and shaped his mouth to a little 'o', moving it quickly as he breathed out the smoke. Instead of shaping to a cloud as it used to, it shaped into a butterfly.

I rubbed my eyes, believing that what was left of my tiredness might had played a prank on my eyes, but when I opened them again, nothing had changed. The butterfly flew upwards into the sky, but changed direction as the wind caught it.

He snickered at my reaction and I looked upon him.

"How did you do that?!" I asked enthusiastic as a little child, having a hard time to sit still.

"Oh, I've had a lots of years to practice." he said and winked, before bursting out in another quiet chuckle as the thought back at his memories.

"Now tell me, why you come here in this exigent hour?" he said, smiling at me, and I lowered my gaze to my hands.

"I just wanted to say goodbye before I leave." I replied quietly, fingering on my nails. He carefully took my hands in his.

_And I am very glad that you did,_

He thought and I cheerfully looked up at him.

He felt my anxiousness concerning what was about to happen.

_It's just that… I've never taken a step outside this realm. If I miss being away from my home as I'm were, which is still not that far away from it, then how will it be when I'm far across the mountains?_

A warm and soothing feeling filled my body, I got it from him. He made me feel like everything would be okay, that it was nothing to be afraid of. He looked down at me with eyes filled with joy and kindness.

_You will find that nothing is further away from you than you want it to be, as long as you have your memories,_

These words made me tear up a little - such wise thought with such care and calmness. Before I even knew it myself, I had wrapped my arms around him in a thankful embrace. He chuckled again and stroke my back.

xxx

The sweat ran down my forehead as I fought to take the golden clip from my mouth without causing my braids to undo. I had made two half-french braids, one of each side of my face, in order to keep my hair away from my face, as it most likely would fall in front of my eyes and blind me as we rode. I groaned in exhaustion as I let go of the clip. I turned my head and let my green eyes study myself in the mirror, the clip held on to my hair perfectly, and the moss-green tunic I wore seemed to make my hair look whiter than it was.

I quickly moved on to the bag on the bed, the same I had used the time I visited the forest, and ran my gaze through it so I knew that I didn't forget anything. At the bottom I found a pair of leather trousers, identical to the ones I wore now, along with a light blue tunic and a blanket. On top of them laid the bottle of water and pouches with berries which I had brought with me from the forest. My well used, and not quite so soft anymore, bruch rested next to them.

I was just about to pull up the bag and run off to the stables as I remembered.

"_Oh great heavens! Where is my book?"_ I thought in panic and my gaze flicked about the room, searching for the familiar brown, old book about herbs and animals.

I would rather not be separated from it, but I began to run out of time. My lips twitched as I finally found the book cover, laying behind the stump and I quickly threw it into the bag before letting my rapid feet, dressed in brown, light boots, lead me down the corridor towards the stables.

I had hoped that we would be leaving later on the forenoon, but there was something about "You must travel as fast as possible." and "A great evil is lurking ahead of you, if you don't value your time correctly.".

But it cannot possibly be as dangerous as they make it sound like, I have never seen anything in my days out there; the dog barks worse than it bites?

I was panting as I finally made it to the stables, my heart pounded hard in my chest. I hurried through the silver doors and to the box where Arahael, the white horse, stood. Mithrandir had helped me with the translation of 'Noble and wise' to Sindarin, the elven tongue, which had become his name.

He had spent the night in the stable since we would be leaving early, and I couldn't deny how much he enjoyed the attention he got from the elves, those who took care of the stable and the horses. They had gathered around him and sung songs about his beauty and strength.

"Hi there." I greeted him as I opened the door to the box. He trotted out and towards the exit as he bent his neck and snorted, happy to run out to welcome the sun.

Through the corner of my eye I saw some of the stablemen look upon him with admiration, and I could understand why, even if he didn't vary from the other horses that much. His coat was white as frosty snow and his muscles made him look greater than the other of his kin.

I followed him outside and towards the archway that led out from the city, where I found lord Aragorn and Legolas next to their horses. They were too occupied packing their horses and talking about something to hear us at first, but as Arahael stepped out from the grass to the cobblestoned path, Legolas was the first to turn his head toward us, Aragorn followed his example quickly.

"Good morning, I see you decided to join us." Aragorn said with a wry smile on his lips, which I returned, and keen eyes as he friendly referred to me being late, before his attention went back to his horse. "I say we travel as fast as possible, as long as the sun's up we'll be protected." he continued, more to Legolas than to me I reckoned.

"Then, let us not dwell any longer." the elf replied and as he did, I felt a sting in my gut again. But I swallowed the lump in my throat - I had to do this sooner or later. Now it was the sooner one so I just have to pull myself together and do it.

"I see you are ready to leave." a familiar, strong voice said from behind us. I turned around to meet lord Elrond, surrounded by three of his servants. He had a strong but slightly dismal look upon his face. He looked at the three of us, but his gaze stopped at me. The depth in his kind and solemn eyes caught me and I could do nothing but to look right into them.

"If I may have a word with you?" he said softly. As I approached him it seemed that everyone around us went back to their business; the elves of the court went back to the buildings and Aragorn and Legolas began to talk to each other again, checking the horses a final time.

"Edengwen, I cannot and will not force you to-" he began.

"No, I'm the one who's sorry. I have been nothing than childish and stubborn, my actions have been foolish." I interrupted him, too shameful to look him in the eyes. "I am the one who should be apologizing." I continued. The next thing I uttered took all courage I had in my body. "Forgive me for being too blind to see through the glass." I begged, using the 'too blind to see through glass' as a metaphor.

When I looked up to meet his gaze I almost started - his eyes were filled with such faith, warmth and proudness, it caused my cheeks to rose up a bit.

"Only if you forgive as well." he said with a vague smile and slightly raised eyebrows. I looked down at my feet again, trying to hold back a smile, and nodded twice.

"Thank you." he said quietly, almost as a whisper. "And before you leave us I want to give you something." he continued and held out his arms towards a lady, one I hadn't taken notice of, a few feet behind him. She approached us gracefully, with a soft, wine-red fabric in her hands.

She held it out to him with a bow and, somehow, slowly rushed back from whence she had come. Elrond unwrapped it and I found him holding a beautiful cloak.

"I had this made for you," he said as he placed it over my shoulders and fastened the silver attacher, shaped as a leaf, settling perfectly between my collar bone.

The cloak was made for me indeed, beside the fact that it fits me excellent, it fulfilled all my wishes; it ended about an inch below my bottom, which meant that it wouldn't cause me annoyance while riding or running, as well as a line of stitches on each side created wide sleeves, for a swift movement, and it had… Pockets! Both on the out- and inside! - The Valar knows how many times I've cursed the elven clothes due to their lack of storage, for practical reasons.

"You have made me speechless, my lord, speechless indeed. I can only thank you." I said respectfully, bowed my head and placed my hand on my heart in a gesture of trust and respect. I loved the cloak and wouldn't let it be ruined.

"I believe there's someone that would like to take farewell of you, before you take off to other lands." he said and his gaze went to the entrance of the building, I saw Lindir walk out of them and approach us.

"I couldn't help but to notice how much of a support he has been to you during these last couple of weeks." Elrond said quietly. "But before he does, I will be the one to take farewell of you; Goodbye, Edengwen of the woods, may your journey be safe and may it not be the last time we see each other." he said and bowed his head. I looked up at him with kindness.

"Thank you." I whispered back. "I'll come around, sometime." I continued quietly. I would though, sometime when everything was back to normal, spare some time to pay a visit to say 'Hello'.

He turned around and left as Lindir had come forth.

"I guess it's time for you to leave." he said a vague, wry smile, but his eyes expressed dismality. I took his hand and held it tight as we looked upon each other.

_Thank you, I don't know if I could have managed without you,_

I thought gratefully.

_It has only been my pleasure,_

He thought back, but he got a crafty feeling all over him.

_Besides, I don't think I've ever learned so much about the stars as I've had during the past weeks,_

He thought, raising his eyebrows.

_Oh Lindir,_

The words flew through my mind as I snickered.

_I will miss you,_

I confessed, getting serious and so did he.

_Yes, I will miss having your company too,_

He replied before he tilted his head towards the two men and the horses.

_I believe they're waiting for you,_

He continued.

_I'll visit you, sometime when all of this is over,_

I thought before we embraced each other, I was just about to turn around as I heard another voice call.

"Wait! You do not even consider to leave Rivendell without letting me take goodbye of you! After all I have done, this is my reward?" Iverils' voice echoed between the buildings as she rushed towards us. I couldn't help myself cracking out in a smile, neither could Lindir.


	15. Chapter 14

**Hii. Back to school again now *sobs and crawls into a dark corner***

**For the three oncoming months I'll have extreamly many exams, I mean like crazy-many O_O**

**And I just wanna thank all you guys for all the reviews and favorites and follows, this is my first story ever and it's not very good, I mean, I go to high school and I haven't even finished all of my english courses yet... But I do my best and your support gives me the energy to continue.**

**I really love writing, it's a way for me to relax and escape reality for a while. Therefore it saddens me that I won't be able to publidh them as often as I have. I'll try to release a chapter every thursday and friday, I think I'll manage to!**

**So all I wanna say is just 'Thanks', for being there to light up my day when it's at its' worst.  
You're the best 3**

**Enjoy this chapter, I had a good time writing it!**

**xxx**

"Are you sure you should walk up there? - it's quite dark and I would at least like to get you out of this realm _before_ you get yourself in trouble." Aragorn said casually and I snorted from where I walked, on the branches over the path.

The night had just begun and the moon hid behind great, gray clouds, so we had to trust our eyes to discern the environment surround us. The two men rode on the path underneath me, Aragorn a bit in front of me and Legolas behind, but me myself had moved from the horseback to up here a while ago. Don't get me wrong, I love to feel the wind in my face and to become one with the horse, but after a while it gets very monotonous.

"If i was you I wouldn't worry too much." I replied, I mean - I've lived my whole live in the woods, I think I can manage. He held up his right hand, saying 'All right, do whatever you want.'. Legolas just watched me from the corner of his eye - I'd noticed that he'd done that ever since I got up here, as if he thought I would run away at first best moment. But hey - where would I go?

Unfortunately for me, my shoe slipped on the bark - I still hadn't got used to the flat soles - and I would have crashed down to the ground to a most annoying "What did I tell you?" if I hadn't caught a branch on my way down, causing me to land in a more safely position, almost as if it had been my purpose to.

Aragorn looked back at me, but turned his head - as he thought I'd jumped down on purpose. From behind of me I could hear Legolas snicker quietly by himself, for he had seen it all thanks to the great vision of elves. I ignored him and hurried forth to Arahael, jumping up at his back.

"We will soon take shelter for the night." Aragorn determined and extended his horse's steps a bit. I felt most thankful to hear those news - it had been a long day. We had ridden in silence the most of the way, but Aragorn and Legolas had ridden side by side to talk about the way ahead of us. But they had avoiding talking to me except if it was necessary, which I was very thankful of.

I'd watched them during the day and they were actually pretty okay. Aragorn I felt okay with from the beginning, since we had a great talk all those months ago. Legolas, on the other hand, I had still kept away from.

But during the day he had been very relaxed and casual, he had even made a few jokes on the way, mostly anecdotes which I didn't understand - but he tried to explain them as good as he could, so I guess that we're fine. But I still don't feel like conversing with him, at least not yet.

My eyes began to feel heavy and I leaned forward and rested my head against his neck. His soft mane felt ticklish as it stroke my cheeks. During the day, we had followed the river Bruinen south and had laid at least sixty miles behind of us. A break for the night felt pretty on time right now.

Aragorn dismounted his horse and began to lead it off of the path and in through the forest, just a couple of feet until we reached a mountain wall.

"We rest here for the night." Aragorn called as he tied the reins to a tree, before gathering some dry sticks. Legolas did the same thing but I just 'rolled' over so I laid on the horse's back, with my hands clasped around my bag on my stomach and my legs on each side of the butt.

Looking up into the sky, I could vaguely discern the stars, but the moon was still hidden. The fire cracked in the background, as they had got it started, and they searched through the bags.

"How about dinner?" Aragorn asked me from where he sat on his knees next to the fire.

I swiftly slid down from Arahael and joined them by the fire, leaning my back towards the side of the wall. I was really hungry by now; in my hurry this morning I had completely forgotten about breakfast and we had only stopped once for food during the journey.

"Let's see what we have." Aragorn said and looked through the one bag of food. "Bread, cheese, a jar of honey, one of raspberry jam, apples…"

"Carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, several of other crops." Legolas continued as he sat with the other one.

"Maybe I can find some bird eggs nearby-" Aragorn suggested and looked up to the trees about him.

"No!" I interrupted him, just as if he had suggested us to eat one of the horses, with a horrified look upon my face. "They could be relatives to my nestlings." I continued, as he had looked upon me with an ounce of bewilderment in his eyes. Legolas chuckled from where he sat and Aragorn had his wry smile on his lips.

"I would certainly like to hear that is a story." Legolas said, still snickering, and I narrowed my eyes towards him.

"That would actually explain a lots to me." Aragorn laughed and Legolas joined him in, almost bending over by laugh. I gazed upon him as well, eyes still narrowed. "As why you don't want anyone to go with you into the woods." he continued and laughed deeper.

"The ones I keep in watch." I snorted, I obviously hadn't laid them. They calmed themselves down from their joyous moment and continued unpacking the food. I hadn't been offended or something, but I didn't feel so comfortable that they laughed at me.

"Why would you do that?" Aragorn asked curiously and looked at me, with his head slightly tilted. His brown eyes were filled with heat and kindness, as well as they had seen awful things in this world.

"How else would they survive?" I asked him back.

"Shouldn't nature have it's course?" he replied and I raised my eyebrow.

"I don't believe the course of nature will be disturbed just because I don't let the babies die." I replied, causing him to nod back at me, as if saying '_touche'_.

"What else do you do?" Legolas asked from the other side of the flames, he seemed quite interested of my story. I pulled up my knees and placed my chin at them as I looked into the dancing fire.

"I make sure that the predators don't hunt more than they need to, I help catching the birds as they learn how to fly, and who do you think cleans the ground of the fallen leaves?" I told him, vaguely smiling as I thought back to the times where I cleaned the forest along with the deers - I'd instructed them to use their great antler to move away the leaves into piles.

As I looked back up I noticed that they were both looking at me with kind eyes and smiling mouths, I imagined them both thinking '_awww'_.

"But what will they do now when you aren't around?" Legolas asked before realising how dumb and offending the question was. I moved my gaze back to the fire and tried to hold back my tears. It felt like someone had pierced my heart with a dagger.

"I don't know." I replied quietly and he sighed.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that..." he began to excuse himself.

"No, you shouldn't." I replied and stood. I had intended to walk away from them to sit somewhere by myself, but they wouldn't let me leave their sight, so instead I approached Araheal and began to pet him. He felt my anxiousness and I showed him the conversation.

Since I learned how to speak in the common tongue he had begun to learn it as well, since he understood the purpose of the words in my mind. He exhaled through his nostrils and let his breath warm my face, before he placed his head on my shoulder. I leaned my head against his and let the tears pour down my cheeks.

The men by the fire talked quietly using the elvish language, which I soon would come to learn. I felt extremely homesick at the moment and Araheal pushed me into a 'horse hug' with his head to comfort me. I clung my arms around his neck and nuzzled my face into his strong neck. We stood like that for a great while before he laid himself down and I sat down beside him.

I heard approaching footsteps but didn't bother to look who it was. The feet stopped right next to me and Aragorn cringed, holding out a handful of bread with some cheese towards me.

"Here, you need it." he said. I reluctantly took it from his hand - I was really hungry so I didn't bother to ignore him. "Now try and get some rest, we will leave earlier tomorrow than we did today." he continued and stood, moving back to the fire.

He and Legolas would take turns in watching us during the night, and I prayed to the Valar that Legolas would try to apologize or something during his guard. I quickly ate the bread with the cheese and took out the blanket from my bag, before leaning my head against the horse so they would think I was asleep.

As my eyes got heavier and my breath got deeper I slowly fell further into my meditation-sleep state.

xxx

The coming days were all the same; we continued our journey early on, made a stop about lunch-time before we kept going, and stopped first when the night had approached. We had been traveling for five days now, our course had changed and we were now heading south yet towards the great mountains in the east.

After the first night I hadn't spoken a word except answering to their most necessary of questions. Most of the time they had let me be, especially Legolas, but Aragorn had made several attempts to get me talking.

"_It's a beautiful day, don't you think?" he asked me, but instead of replying I just let my eyes flick about me._

"_Elrond told me that you're fascinated by the dwarves?" he tried and I felt Legolas eyes on me, but I still didn't say anything.  
_"_I believe Legolas can tell some good stories about the-" he began but I sighed and turned my head away to tell him to leave me be, he got the hint and we rode in silence the rest of the day._

On the sixth night we arrived next to a mountain, it was the biggest I've ever seen but it looked tiny compared to the mountains ahead of us. I suddenly felt very small.

"This is Hollin, we will rest here for the night." Aragorn called and searched for a safe place to camp during the night - he and Legolas had seemed to have sharpened up the closer we got to the mountains. They always kept their eyes open to our surroundings, and were more careful about where we slept.

"_I don't want us to be ambushed during the night."_ I'd overheard Aragorn say to Legolas the other night.

We stationed in a glade with some rocks laying about on the dry ground. Legolas immediately began to work on the campfire, while Aragorn began to unpack the horses.

"Edengwen, could you take care of the horses?" Aragorn asked me and I took the horses reins in my hand. I led them over to a fallen tree, in the periphery of the glade, and knot the reins around a small branch.

I walked over to one of the bags, containing food, and snatched two pieces of bread before sitting down next to a boulder, not too close to the fire. I slowly ripped off pieces of it with my mouth, looking up into the night, wishing I could fly up to the stars watching over us.

"Anyone who can tell a story?" Aragorn asked us, but I just ignored him and Legolas tilted his head.

"Why don't you tell her of our first meeting?" Legolas said and both of them smiled as they remembered.

xxx

"There we were, at an Inn of the city called Bree." he finally begun after the long introduction he had told me, about the Dúnedains journey in the land of Arnor. His story had caught my interest just as much as the great ones in the library of Rivendell.

I had moved closer to the fire and sat now with my knees risen to my chin and my eyes wide open as I listened closely to his story.

"We did our best to not drag attention to ourselves, which is quite a challenge when you're a pack of tired and noisy rangers." he added a smile before continuing. "We had agreed on leaving as fast as the weather smiled at us, which at the moment looked to be a great while. The rain pelt hard on the windows and the wind was howling as if it would sweep away the houses in one breath." he continued.

The darkness that surrounded us along with the cold breeze on our faces made it quite easy to imagine.

"We urged ourselves to stay out of trouble, for we could not afford being attacked, not in the condition we were in. So when we noticed a man who watched us from the shadows, we thought our luck had faded." he said dramatically and stopped the story to smoke on his pipe.

"_What happened next?!"_ I wanted to exclaim but waited patiently, for I was too concentrated on the story to remember why he told it in the first place. After a while he continued, as he saw how agitated I was - if he wasn't aware of how much I'm fascinated by adventurous stories before, then he was now. Legolas seemed quite interested as well, for he listened intently to the story being told, even if he already knew it.

"Our plan was to hopefully ambush him, we thought that he might would follow if one of us left. I volunteered as decoy and with my hood over my head, I left the table and exited into the cold and pitch dark night. I followed the street and went into the alley we had agreed I would go to. I hid behind a couple of barles and waited for footsteps. I was just about to head back to the inn but freezed as I saw a dark semblance pass me down the alley." he made a stop to smoke again.

"The steps were too light to be heard, but I was unseen where I sat. His back faced me as he searched for me, so I took the opportunity to, surprise him." he said with his wry smile, my eyes looked like two plates. "I stood and swung my sword, but he ducked and stepped behind me. My sword met his knifes as we moved about. Every time I thought I had him he moved just enough to escape my attack. But the darkness and the rain blinded me for a moment, which was enough of time for him to move his knife to my throat." I made a small gasp and his eyes were smiling at my reaction.

"'_Tell me your name, stranger in the shadows.'_ he urged me, I didn't have much of a choice but to answer. '_My name is Strider.'_ I replied and a shadow of confusion laid over my face as he released my throat from his knife. He pulled back his hood and bowed his head. '_I eneth nîn Legolas Thranduilion.'_ he told me before he continued, '_I have followed your tracks for two months, but you always seem to be ahead of me.'_" Aragorn finished and looked up at me.

Even if I yet hadn't learned the elvish language I had caught up some words, so I understood that '_I eneth nîn'_ meant '_My name is'._

"I believe that's it." he continued and gave me a tired smile, I myself felt quite sleepy myself. "That's how we met, but I believe our other adventures are for another time." he continued as he stood. "I will take first guard."

xxx

My lips were blue of the coldness around us, I shivered and wrapped my cloak closer around me. Neither Aragorn nor Legolas had managed to start a fire as the wind blew too hard.

It was only this morning as we had begun our walk in the Misty Mountains. As the sun had fallen lower on the sky, the night had brought its' coldness with it. We had seeked shelter in a small cave, just but seven feet deep. The horses stood by the entrance, keeping the worst of the snow and the rough winds away.

I had wrapped the blanket from Rivendell around me as well, where I sat in the 'corner' of the cave, but it didn't help me so much as I had hoped. We elves are able to handle cold weather better than the mortals, but even we have limits!

It was hours into the night and Aragorn slept deep right next to the wall, since Legolas had insisted to take the watch, and I should be sleeping too. But there was something about the bitter night that couldn't give me rest, except from the raw cold.

Legolas sat next to me, leaning his back against the wall face, but a bit away. The night didn't seem to bother him as much as if did to me.

He suddenly moved his gaze to me and his eyes filled with concern as he saw how abject I was.

"You're freezing." he said, loud enough for me to hear what he said but without risking to wake Aragorn, more than asking a question.

I shrugged, saving my cracked lips from moving.

"Take this." he murmured and began to unclasp his cloak, but I interrupted him before he was done.

"No." I said, slightly annoyed, and he looked up. "Then you will freeze." I murmured back.

A wrinkle played between his eyebrows and his eyes were filled with compassion and concern as he thought about how he could solve the situation. He moved a little closer and opened his arms towards me, holding the edges of the cloak with his hands, causing him to look as if he had wings.

"I wont let you freeze yourself to sleep." he said firmly. I dubiously looked at him, with wide eyes and my brows pressed together. I was just about to snort something supercilious at him, but a sudden wind that seemed to freeze my veins, changed my mind.

I scooched over towards him and let him wrap his arms around me, as I made sure that we had no contact by flesh. It actually felt much better and I leaned into his side to let some of his warmth pass to me.

The winds roared from outside, the snowflakes fell so intensely that the outside looked like a white wall. But I suddenly felt safe, the icy winds didn't bite on me anymore, and it felt like everything would be alright. And with everything I mean my life. I don't know why I feel this way, I just… Did.

As my body heated up I began to relax, my mind swifted further and further away, my eyelids became heavy. Just as I was about to fall asleep, I realized why I felt so safe; it was the nursing embrace, the feeling of being taken care of - that eased my mind. Before I could think anything more about it, my head rested against his shoulder and had fallen into a deep daze.

xxx

As the young elleth slowly drifted away her head leaned heavier and heavier against his shoulder. He felt happy that he could comfort her and that he maybe could earn some of her trust, after all her doubt in him.

He felt sorry for her, that she had to leave the only thing she knew, her only home. But she had grown so much from the day he first met her; her then so tangled light blonde hair had been brushed and cut, she now walked with such grace as the noblest of elves, and her eyes were bright and clever as she regarded her surroundings.

She was very brave.

She suddenly moved and sighed in her sleep and she unconsciously nuzzled her head into his neck. As her forehead touched his skin he felt and saw everything she dreamed.

_**Beautiful green trees, waving in the wind. Birds flew in circles over her head, playfully catching the strings of her hair, that glew golden white in the sunlight. A laugh light as bells escaped her lips and she twirled around. **_

Legolas smiled at her dream, it was so beautiful and innocent.

_**A sudden thunder ceased her joy. She turned around with a horrified look on her face. But instead of seeing the treetops she found herself in a small room, made out of stone. She tried to move but her wrists and ankles were bound with metal chains. Pictures of the Elves of Rivendell passed through her mind. "You shall not leave, you shall never leave." a deep voice echoed through her mind.**_

She started in her sleep, he wanted to comfort her, but he didn't know how. Then, he suddenly got an idea.

_~Sing all ye joyful, now sing all together?_

_The wind s in the free-top, the wind s in the heather;_

_The stars are in blossom, the moon is in flower,_

_And bright are the windows of Night in her tower.~_

He sang in his mind. It was the soothing, elvish song his mother had used to sing to him as a child. The memory of her beautiful voice sang the rest of the song.

_~Dance all ye joyful, now dance all together!_

_Soft is the grass, and let foot be like feather!_

_The river is silver, the shadows are fleeting;_

_Merry is May-time, and merry our meeting.~_

He continued and felt how her dark thoughts began to vanish.

_~Sing we now softly, and dreams let us weave him!_

_Wind him in slumber and there let us leave him!_

_The wanderer sleepeth. Now soft be his pillow!_

_Lullaby! Lullaby! Alder and Willow!~_

Her mind was now peaceful.

_~Sigh no more Pine, till the wind of the morn!_

_Fall Moon! Dark be the land!_

_Hush! Hush! Oak, Ash, and Thorn!_

_Hushed be all water, till dawn is at hand!~_

**xxx**

**I hope you enjoyed it! Now goodnight to y'all! 3**

**PS. Oh, and if you're interested of it, I might write a short story about Legolas and Aragorns first meeting, but it's nothing I've planned to do so I won't if you don't show any interest in it :)**


	16. Chapter 15

**Muirgen79: Yes, it's from The hobbit, in the last chapter I think :)**

**Sadiana: Wow, thank you! Your review made me very happy and I'm glad you like it 3 And I'm doing my best with the grammar, I'll get better by time :P**

**PegasuswingsVW: Thank you :) I don't really know what I'll do with the Aragorn &amp; Legolas story, not many seemed to like the idea, and time is what I have least of. I guess we'll see, if I find some time. :/**

**Blue mountain fairy: I'm glad you did :)**

**KiyaJinnSkywalkerKenobi: Thank you x2! And oh my ghad I do so badly wanna tell you what's gonna happen! (But I can't!)**

**Thank you for taking your time to review :)**

**Hello world,**

**Soo I got some writer's block on this one;**

**"How should I begin? Oh, I know! Noo, but now then? Okay, I got it. But now then? Oh, it's publish-day today, but I can't, I have to add that part to the story. Good, it's almost done now. (today) Maybe I can just add a little...? Oh gosh, I think I have to split this in two after all."  
*Nervous laugh* Heh, heh, oobsie... But I really wanted to add that conversation in the end, and I'm glad that I did.  
Enjoy your reading 3**

**xxx**

I groaned as I slightly opened my eyes and drew back a string of hair. I laid on the hard, cold ground and my head rested on a stone, Legolas must have placed me here as I fell asleep yesterday.

"Good, you're awake." I heard Aragorn's voice call and I looked up. He sat in the other side of the cave with his back against the wall and looked at me. He looked jaded, but his eyes were still bright and solid. I could not find Legolas with my gaze, he must have gone outside to explore the road ahead of us.

"We will be leaving soon." he continued. "I heard that you didn't get so much sleep last night?" he said but I shrugged as an answer. "I on the other hand may have gotten too much." he continued quietly and drew his hand over his face, rubbing out the night before letting his gaze catch a spot outside of the cave.

"There's no such thing as too much sleep." I replied and unwrapped the blanket from me, before folding and shoving it into my bag. I could feel his curious eyes in my back but ignored them and stood, only to stretch my arms and back after the uncomfortable sleep.

Outside the wind had stopped, and the furious storm with it. Instead, mid-sized snowflakes gently fell down from the heavens. I passed the horses, who were delighted that the horrible night was over, and stepped out into the cold morning.

The snowflakes that fell sparkled beautifully in the sunlight, the soft artwork looked like crystals, no I changed my mind, it _was_ crystals. As they landed in my open palms they rested a while before turning into waterdrops, causing a wry smile to play on my lips.

As the frozen drops landed in my hair I noticed how similar the colors were, the only difference was that my hair shimmered in golden nuances.

"Good morning." I heard a voice call from behind of me. I turned around to see Legolas walk from the direction we were heading towards. His gaze flew quickly, but alas so thorough, over the great mountains about us. "Did you sleep well?" he continued with something in his voice I couldn't determine.

"A-ha." I replied affirmatively but a bit withdrawn. I let my gaze follow his, but noticed when he went into the cave.

"What do you say?" Aragorn asked as he stood.

"The path ahead is clear and will not be too difficult for the horses to follow." he replied and began to fix something on his horse's packing.

I sighed and moved towards them, I had a feeling this would be a long day.

xxx

"Is that the forest of Lothlórien?" I asked hopefully and stretched my back to see the treetops of the green forest in the dale ahead of us a little better, as it could be discerned between the mountains.

The horses moved slowly in the deep snow and we were walking instead of riding to ease their burden. It was easy for Legolas and me, since our light steps allowed us to walk on top of the snow instead of falling right through it. Aragorn, on the other hand, was trudging through the snow along with the horses.

"I'm afraid not, the forests of Lothlórien lays much more south. We will lay our eyes upon it first in a couple of days." Aragorn replied me from where he was walking.

I sighed and let my shoulders fall in dissatisfaction. I actually looked forward to arrive, it would definitely be better to be somewhere rather than walking in the same, humdrum environment.

"Don't worry, the time will pass faster than you believe." Legolas said encouraging as he saw the look on my face.

"So you keep telling me." I murmured in silence, but I assumed he had still heard me since I saw his cheek push into a pillow of skin, meaning he smiled.

_Well, I just have to entertain myself,_ I thought, trying to be positive. _Somehow…_

xxx

Two days later we had finally reached the little forest. The trees grew high and green, even though the coldness from the winter in the mountains wasn't too far away. The land about us were of green fields and the hills looked like great waves on a sea.

It was noon and the sun had not yet disappeared behind the mountains behind of us, it's heat still lingered in the air. The warmth felt satisfying on my other so cool skin. I felt a compulsion to dive right into the river, that drifted into the forest and beyond, letting the fresh water clean my dirty limbs.

"I believe we have a three days journey ahead of us, until we'll reach the realm of Lorien." Aragorn said as we rode into the forest.

Obscure birds filled the air with songs I've never heard before. My heart urged me to explore this new wildness, even though it wasn't very different from the forests in the west, but I bet there's many different species living here, both animals and plants, which I have never seen before.

But I restrained my feelings - we neither had time to nor would they _let_ me explore the new environment.

We came to a glade at a great rock face, which was shaped like a half moon, with great boulders and bushes, causing it to look like a room with only one exit. Aragorn and Legolas quickly dismounted their horses.

"I say we take a quick break." Aragorn suggested and looked through the packing for some of our remaining food. Legolas stretched his legs as he walked about in the glade, whistling a melody that the birds soon joined him in.

I removed the hood that was hiding my face and dismounted Arahael. I took off my cloak and laid it in my bag, which I placed on the ground before giving my horse a pat on his neck. My gaze studied the environment surrounding us, watching the peculiar birds fly close to the tops of the trees.

I moved my stiff legs towards a tree just in the periphery of the glade, curiously looking up at it. _Maybe I could take a climb just to get a better view over the area?_ I thought, but suddenly freezed.

The birds had stopped their singing, now vague drumbeats vibrated through the ground. I turned my head towards Aragorn and Legolas to urge them to cease their conversion, and how lucky I was - for an arrow suddenly came flying and hit the tree where my head just had been.

"Ah..!" I exclaimed and hurried backwards towards the two men, who had drew their swords respective bow and arrows, and hurried forth to me. Aragorn quickly pulled something from the horse's packing and handed me a long, silvery sword.

"I-I don't know how to wield a blade!" I stammered and looked upon him with panic in my eyes. He pushed me further towards the rockwall with the boulders, too high to climb, ignoring my panic.

As my back pressed hard against the rock he looked deep into my eyes.

"Use it if you must, don't move from here, always stay behind us." he commanded in a serious tone and with raised eyebrows. I looked back at him with fear in my eyes, but nodded. He left me and headed towards Legolas, who was firing arrows at the dark, rough creatures that ran towards us.

The creatures had skin that shifted from dark brown to almost green, they ran weirdly, bent forward as they limped forward. White teeth appeared on their black lips as they curled. Black steel, detailed with bones and teeth from other animals, covered their dirty bodies.

They were obnoxious and the mere view of them made me feel sick.

Legolas had taken down seven of them with his arrows, I prayed that he wouldn't run out of them, and fired his next one at a greater orc with a bow in its filthy hands. The orc fell down with a shriek, but only to be replaced with another orc, roaring of anger wielding a spike club.

Adrenalin pumped through my body and the beats of my heart echoed in my ears. The horses were shrieking and tried to escape through the bushes.

_Vala Nienna, please do not let Vala Mandos take them into his halls yet._ I prayed for them.

The orcs were too many now, Aragorn had moved forth and swiftly wielded his blade with skill, Legolas had replaced the bow with his two white knives. He moved across the battlefield with such grace and precision, as if he was dancing, knowing exactly where his opponents were.

The whole pack was now in vision, attacking the two men as good as they could, but the men had such skills with their blades that they never got any opportunity to harm them. I counted the dark creatures as good as I could and reckoned that only fifteen of them were still alive.

Something dark suddenly stepped in front of me, growling. I pressed myself backwards as hard as I could, but the rock prevented me from escaping. The creature raised his hand, preparing to wield the square like sword in his hand.

I held forth the sword Aragorn had given me, just as the roaring creature ran into it. The hilt pressed backwards into my stomach, but the blade swiftly slid into between the ribs of the creature. Its face turned into an horrid expression and it let go of the sword, which fell to the ground.

It grabbed my shoulder with its last forces, and buried its long, black nails into my skin. I gasped as its appalling feelings passed to me.

_**Pain, flooding blood, resignation, despair,**_

I felt what dying feels like, and worse; I felt what it was like to have been murdered by myself.

As the creature fell backwards, the blade slid as easy out as it had in, the sword suddenly felt very heavy and my knees failed me. Tears poured down my cheeks as I cried silently.

I looked up to see Legolas run towards me, he and Aragorn had finished off the rest of the pack, I noticed that Aragorn had run to the 'exit' to look if there was someone else out there.

"Are you hurt?" Legolas asked worried, breathing heavy from the fight. I looked up at him and let my eyes of despair meet his.

"Do not ever, ever make me do that again." I sobbed, nodding towards the being I recently had murdered. He looked down at me with compassion in his eyes, but I had let my gaze fall to my hands, with tears still pouring down my face. He took the sword from my hands and handed it to Aragorn, who now had approached us.

"Are you hurt?" he asked as he knelt, examine my body with his gaze. I shook my head, with my eyes still fixed on my hands.

"No." I said in a sob.

"Yes you are." he sighed as he noticed the wound on my shoulder. "We must move quickly, there could be more orcs nearby." he said and stood. "Legolas, can you bind her wound? Your fingers work faster than mine." he continued.

"Off course." Legolas replied and hurried towards the horses. All the three of them had survived without scratches, but looked a bit startled. Aragorn moved towards them as well, beginning to examine the horses one by one.

Legolas returned with a black leather pouch in his hands. He opened it and took out a bottle with something that looked like water and a clean piece of cloth. He poured the liquid on the fabric and moved it towards my shoulder.

"This will sting a bit." he warned quietly and placed the wet fabric on my wound. I bit my lips to not shout, whatever that liquid was, it was for sure not water. He cleaned it thoroughly and as he did I pulled myself together and let go of the sad feelings.

"I'm sorry for overreacting, it was just…" I began but stopped myself as I didn't know how to continue. Instead, I focused my gaze on his work with my wound.

"You're not overreacting." he said with a sweet voice. "You react just as any normal living being would." he continued.

"I could feel it." I whispered, after a moment of silence, and he frowned as he bound a bandage around my shoulder. "I could feel the light fade in him, the heat decrease." I continued.

"I'm so sorry." he said. "We should have noticed him." he continued as he tied the ends together. He stood and held out his hand towards me, but I didn't want to share my feelings with him for the moment, so I did the best I could to stand. He pulled my forearm as I began to fall back.

He didn't remove it, but moved it to my upper arm and placed his other hand on my other upper arm.

"I'm sorry you had to experience this." he said and was just about to pull back, but stayed as I placed my forehead on his shoulder and placed one hand on my back in a small embrace.

It felt comforting to lean against someone, to be embraced by someone, even if I didn't really rely on him.

Honestly, I really missed Lindir. I wanted to hug him, talk to him, listen to his clever replies and advices. Laugh at his jokes and hear him tell stories.

Right now, I wished I was back in Rivendell, I didn't even care if I wasn't allowed to visit my forest. I just wanted to, and I really needed to, hug someone fond of me. But no one was here, neither Lindir nor Mithrandir nor Elrond.

I forced me to pull myself together and pulled away from the small embrace, murmuring a quiet "Thank you." before moving towards Arahael.

xxx

"We're close to the border of Lorien, I believe that the all of us can sleep safe tonight." Aragorn stated as he began to get the fire going.

Ahead of us, high trees rose, towards the star-filled sky. Legolas had earlier this day told me that we would reach the realm by tomorrow evening.

"What food do we have left?" I called from Arahael's back. I was quite hungry, to get the food to reach all the way to Lothlórien, we had to rationed it. Or well, Legolas and Aragorn had.

"Only a few crops, I say we spare the bread for tomorrow. I can make a stew for us tonight." he replied, while scavenging one of the bags for the crops and the stockpot.

I nodded and slid down from Arahael's warm back and approached him, I could might as well help him with the preparations instead of being no use at all.

Legolas took care of the horses for the night, gave them food and water before he bound them, his and Aragorns, I had told them that there was no need to bind Arahael and they had trusted me.

"How's your shoulder?" Aragorn asked and looked at me, without quitting cutting the carrot in his hand.

"It's just fine." I replied, taking my eyes off the potato in my hand, which I was chopping into small squares, to look at him before I let it fall back to what I was doing. "I barely feel it anymore." I continued.

"That's good to hear." he responded, seeming to relieve a bit as his gaze lowered to the carrot in his hands. "Do you long to arrive to Lorien?" he continued.

"I long to come back home." I replied a bit harsh, since I remembered how far away I was from my home, Mithrandir and Lindir.

"You miss him?" he said after a moment of silence, quickly letting his gaze meet my eyes before letting it fall down to the stew. I frowned and looked up at him, confused since he had spoken in singular and not plural, thus he must mean one person.

"Who?" I asked back and he looked up at me.

"Lindir." he said, raising an eyebrow as if it would have been obvious, and I quickly lowered my gaze to continue with the tomatoes in my hands, so he wouldn't notice my blushing cheeks.

Off course I missed him, I thought about him every day. Every time I said something, I expected to hear one of his clever replies, every night as the stars appeared on the sky, I was about to ask out loud if he could tell me the story of when Vala Varda created the stars once more time.

Everywhere I looked, everything I heard, reminded me of him and for every day that passed I felt how the distance that parted us increased.

"Why would you ask such a thing?" I replied - this was private and he had no right to ask me about it.

"The morning we left Rivendell, you seemed to be very fond of him." he responded and I sighed at the memory. "And…" he continued quietly, catching my full attention. "You mumble his name in your sleep."

I looked down at my hands again, not offended but sad. I dropped what was in my hands into the stew and returned the knife from where I had taken it from, before I pulled up my knees to my chin, wrapping my arms around my legs as I stared into the fire.

"Yes," I replied quietly. "I miss him."

Aragorn looked upon me with compassion, somehow it felt like he knew what I was going through.

"You will see him again." he said, trying to comfort me.

"I know." I replied, sad but hopeful.


	17. Chapter 16

**Hi guys,**

**So I've noticed some confusion concerning the 'romance' (if there are any*sneakysneaky*) and I just wanna say that, as earlier said; I'm not saying that there won't be romance in this story, but it will ablolutely not be one of the ****_main _****generes of this story.  
I believe this chapter might confuse you a bit more, but just don't overthink it. Believe me, ****_anything_**** could happen along the road, but I'm very fond of strong relationships that isn't an all-love-and-only-love-will-be-the-main-character's-only-personality thing. **

**I like to get to know the character and (if there is love) cause the love to make her/him stronger, I want it to have an important part of the story and I love the kind of miserable love, The fault in our stars, Romeo and Juliet etc.**

**Heh, I now realise that the intro became a bit long, but it's fine. You may have got to know how I think, and not only about this story.**

**Blue mountain fairy: You'll just have to wait and see! xD I have a (in my oppinion) great idea on my mind!**

**KiyaJinnSkywalkerKenobi: Naw, you got a ship-name :3 haha, I love how excited you are and I will do my best to publish on my publish-days!**

**Muirgen79: "Death and an empath", I'm not really caught up on what you mean, but thank you for taking your time to review anyhow :)**

**Sadiana: Oh thank you YOU'RE SO SWEET! Your comment made me really happy and it caused me to walk on clouds for a while (I believe I still got some of it in between my toes) and I'm really glad that you like it. It means so much to me and I'm just happy that my silly thoughts can lighten up someone else's day :')**

**Enjoy this chapter my dear fellows, was a bit tired while looking through it so appologies for mistakes. See you un sunday!**

**xxx**

"Sleep well, Aragorn, Legolas." I said to the two men, as I wrapped the cloak closer about me and looked up at the sky.

"Good night, Edengwen." both Aragorn and Legolas replied from where they laid. They had agreed to do as earlier discussed - to rest without any guard this night, since we were very close to the realm.

I listened to their breathing. Their breaths slowed down and became deeper as Aragorn fell into a dreamless sleep and Legolas entered his sleeping-state. It was a very soothing sound and I unconsciously began to breathe along with them.

My eyelids fell halfways, enough to leave a small gap between them, and my vision became wobbly. Memories of Rivendell's beautiful music played in my head and along with the vivid light of the stars, it made the night close to unbelievably magic.

Leaves, that had fallen to the ground, razzled from somewhere nearby. I didn't bother to care about it, but as I was just about to fall into my sleep-state, I heard it again, but louder.

I sat up and looked about us, the moonlight made it easy to see the environment, in the other so dark forest. I noticed that a bush that slowly shook back and forth, and looked towards Aragorn and Legolas. Neither of them were awake, thus none of them could have caused it, nor had their sleep been interrupted by the noise.

I stood as quietly as I could, no need to wake them up, it could might as well have been an animal who had caused the sound. I passed the horses, who slept leaning against each other, and Arahael raised his head and looked upon me with his sleepy eyes. I placed my palm on his nose and showed him what I'd heard.

_I will just go see what it is,_

I told him through my mind and continued towards the bushes. He followed me, off course, inaudible as the soft grass covered the sound of his hooves. His nose rested against my neck, blowing out breezes of hot air once in a while.

I looked through the bushes and behind them, but didn't find any animals. However, I found mysterious tracks that lead deeper into the forest, towards the mountains, not too far away, in the west.

_Should I wake Aragorn? _I thought and looked over my shoulder to see the men, both sleeping like children. _Nah, it's probably nothing but a scared squirrel._ I continued as I kept walking along the tracks, determined to find out who had made them.

They lead to a bushy area, about two hundred feet away from our camp, close to a rock wall. The tracks were now many and the leaves had been run through many times.

An abhorrent scent filled the air, an odor almost too loathsome to endure. Like meat that had been forgotten in the sun, or rotten eggs.

She covered her mouth and nose with her arm in an attempt to ease the reek.

Suddenly, the bushes about me began to move and I could discern whispers and giggles from them. Before I knew it, goblins had encircled me and held my limbs in an iron grip with their long, filthy nails digging into my skin. As I was about to scream for help, one of the creatures covered my mouth with its dirty hand.

They had forced me down as they had caught me and dragged me in a direction I couldn't tell. Yellow eyes and white teeth surrounded me along with their titters as I fought against them, which was just a hopeless attempt to escape.

My chest pounded hard, as if my heart was trying to break free, pumping adrenaline through my body. But I could nothing do.

Over their titters and fuss, I heard Arahael's hoofs as he left the area and headed towards the camp.

_I hope they haven't hurt him._ I thought with tears in my eyes as I was dragged into a dark tunnel.

xxx

Legolas was abruptly awoken from his rest by the white stallion, who burst into the glade they were sleeping in. Arahael rushed forth and back, neighing. Legolas turned to Edengwen, to ask her what was wrong, but she was not there.

He jumped up and looked about himself, but he couldn't find her.

"Aragorn!" he called as he threw his quiver over his shoulder and took up his bow. Aragorn had, as well, noticed that the girl was absent and he was now standing up as well, holding his sword in a hard grip.

The horse was still running about in frustration and wouldn't let Legolas come close.

~"Calm down, calm down."~ Legolas tried but the stallion seemed only to get more upset. ~"Take us to her."~ he commanded, the horse must know something about the girl.

Arahael turned on the spot and took off into the woods, the two men followed as quickly as they could.

_We should have guarded the camp tonight as well._ Legolas thought while running. He felt an urge to protect the girl, not only by his duty.

Maybe it was because he felt sorry for her, or that she was so young and fragile - even it she was tough and mature for her age. Or maybe he felt a need to comfort her now when he was the only one of her kin around her.

But he knew that there was something else too. He felt a connection to her, a need to keep her safe. He always kept an eye on her and got nervous whenever she wasn't in sight.

But now he had closed his eyes for a moment and now she was gone, and he had no idea of where she was.

"Where has she gone?" Aragorn said as they ran, following the white horse. He too regret that they hadn't taken turns in guarding this night - Edengwen was their responsibility and he would not let anything happen to her!

The horse lead the two men to the place he had run away from just a moment ago. The goblins were all gone by now, they had probably been too busy capturing Edengwen to take notice of the horse.

Aragorn crouched and drew his hand through the leaves as Legolas stood with his taut bow, ready to fire a shot if necessary.

"Goblins." Aragorn said as he pressed his fist down into the cold, hard ground. Legolas narrowed his eyes, feeling the anger bubble up inside of him. The horrid creatures were known for their crudeness, he didn't want to think of what they would do to the girl. "The tracks leads into the ground." he continued, moving a bush that hid the entrance of a tunnel.

They entered, walking with careful steps and sharp eyes, ready to defend themselves if necessary. Small drops of water fell from the ceiling, causing the ground to become slippery beneath their feet. The tunnels were empty of goblins, at least this far.

The tunnel was wide enough for three broad men to walk side by side, but was at such height that the men was forced to easily bend their heads not to knock their heads against the ceiling.

They heard grim voices coming from down the hall and the song, the beats of the drums and the sound of a whip grew stronger the closer they came. The walls grew wider, the corridor let into a great room and the two men hid behind two stones to stay unseen. They risen their hood-covered heads to see what was happening.

The room was great, it had been carved out of pure rock and the walls glimmered from orange to ash in the light of smaller fires, that had been placed about in the room. The room swarmed with goblins of all sizes, colors and shapes. They were all dancing around a wooden pole.

Over the heads of the creatures they could see Edengwen.

Her hands were bound over her head, so high up that only her toes touched the floor. She had been bound with her front against the pole, leaving her back facing the room. The goblins danced around her, singing, as they scratched, beat, spit and swung a great whip at her back.

"_Beat to the drums, dance to the song,_

_We'll move to the whips, all night long,_

_Cry if you want, scream as well,_

_When this night is over, you'll wish you're in hell,_

_Oh!_

_Ah!_

_Beat to the drums, dance to the song,  
We'll move to the whip, all night long,_

_Cry if you want, scream as well,_

_When this night is over, you'll think you're in hell,_

_Oh!_

_Ah!"_

The goblins sang, beating her in joy along with the beats of the drums.

Adrenaline filled Aragorns body. Anger, madness and disgust had overtaken his thoughts and he was ready to run into the sea of goblins, letting his sword slide through their bodies.

It was his duty to protect the girl and he had failed himself, along with both Edengwen and Elrond. Every beat by the creatures and the whip she took, hurt Aragorn as much as it hurt her. She's just a girl, helpless and miserable where she hung, out of reach from help.

Aragorn was just about to stand as he felt a strong hand on his shoulder. He turned his head and met Legolas eyes of fire.

"They are too many, we can not fight them. Not at the moment." the elf said with his jaw clenched, Aragorn could see how much self-control it took to restrain himself. But the elf was right, it was unlikely that they could both save her and defend the three of them.

"Aah!"

Edengwen's scream echoed in the hall when the whip buried itself deep into the flesh on her back, the tunic had been ripped by the scratches they had given her. Her cloak had been removed and laid somewhere on the floor.

She had manage to control herself this far, but this beat was worse than the ones before and she could feel her wounds cry out read liquor. The goblins about her laughed and howled out of you.

"_Cry if you want, scream as well,_

_When this night is over, you'll think you're in hell," _the creatures howled.

Aragorn had to clench his fists hard, burying his nails into his palm, to endure her scream. He noticed that the elf next to him had a hard time to remain unmoved.

"Legolas, shoot an arrow through the room. Draw their attention away from here." Aragorn whispered in his deep, firm voice.

Legolas immediately understood the untold plan and took a deep breath before aiming. He released the arrow, which flew across the room in a bow, flying into a corridor that lead away from the hall.

The goblins who had heard the sound of the arrow, crashing into the wall of stone, howled.

"Intruder, we have more guests! Come brothers, let us catch them!" they screamed and urged the others to come with them, as they ran down the corridor, away from the hall.

But one of the goblins hid behind a pillar of stone, and left it's hiding place first when all of the other goblins had disappeared out of sight. It ran forth to the girl and poked her with it's nail as it singing jumped around her.

"_Soon you'll lie dead, _

_our floors will be red,_

_And my kin will be fed,_

_as we nibble your head-"_

The creature didn't get to finish as one of Legolas arrows was buried right between it's eyes.

Aragorn and Legolas hurried forth to the girl, who hung in exhaust by the loss of blood. Aragorn swung his sword and cut off the ropes that tied her hands, while Legolas catched her in his arms.

She groaned in her state of unconsciousness as her back rested against his arm. She groaned once again, but louder, as he lifted her up with his other arm underneath her knees. He knew that he hurt her but he had no choice.

Aragorn smoothly picked up the cloak, that had been a gift to her, as he ran. They ran as quickly as they could out of the hall and into the corridor whence they had come from, just in time as they heard the sound of the howling goblins, disappointed as they hadn't found what they had been searching for, return to the hall. They screamed as they saw the dead body on the floor as well as the missing girl.

The two men burst out of the tunnel and ran towards the camp. Arahael had been waiting for them outside and was now running along side Legolas, worrying about his friend that rested in the arms of the elf.

Legolas didn't bother to jump up to the horse's back - he would just hurt the girl more and they were almost at their camp.

"Take only what's necessary!" Aragorn called as he pulled up his personal bag from the ground before getting the horses ready.

Legolas didn't have a personal bag, he felt more comfortable traveling as he was, but he quickly snatched the bag belonging to Edengwen off the ground, before throwing it over his shoulder and catching the girl's legs with his arm again.

He ran over to the horses and carefully placed Edengwen on the horse's back before jumping up behind her.

~"Hurry!"~ Legolas called, to the horses as well as to Aragorn, the sound of yelling goblins approached.

They left the sounds of running feet and screams behind them as the horses quickly galloped through the forest. They rode for a good while and yet continued to ride when they were out of danger. Legolas held the girl with a firm arm to prevent her from falling off.

He suddenly heard a weak mumbling and looked down to see that her lips slowly moved.

"I-" she sigh, but interrupted herself as the pain took over. She clenched her eyes and frowned, trying to ignore the awful pain she felt. "Sorry." she whispered as her body began to relax again.

"Shh." Legolas shushed her. She needed not to worry about it, an explanation could wait until she felt better, if she managed to live so long.

xxx

"Do what you can." Aragorn told Legolas as he worried looked down upon the girl. They had placed her on the soft grass with her back facing up, since it was there she was most damaged.

"I'll see what I can find." he continued as he hurried into the woods to begin his search for healing herbs. It was dark, the moon hid behind grey clouds, but hopefully he would find something before it was too late.

Legolas ripped up the whole back of her tunic, which was filled with dry blood, with one of his knives so he could come to work. He cupped his hands and filled them with water from the stream, which he had placed the girl and himself next to, and poured it over her back.

She twitched as the water filled her wounds, but he had no other choice. He continued by dabbing a piece of fabric into the water and cleaning her wounds with it. She startled again and frowned, her eyes were still closed, he had not taken any notice if she had opened them during the ride.

"Legolas." she whispered weekly.

"I'm sorry, this will soon be over." he replied, believing she was taken by the pain.

"Legolas." she whispered again, more like a sigh, and her right hand twitched.

"Shh." he continued, sorry for causing her pain.

"Touch-" she began but stopped to take a deep, week breath. "Me." she continued and her hand twitched once again. With a wrinkle of curiosity that played between his eyebrows, he placed his hand on her's.

_**Her bag, a crystal bottle of water, he poured it over her back**__, save as much as possible,_

she thought, showing him instructions he did not quite understand why he should follow.

But instead of questioning her, he opened the bag of her's and found the bottle of water. He painstakingly poured the water over her wounds, wondering why. As the oddly cold water touched her she clenched her jaw and buried her fingers in the grass to control herself.

For a good while, nothing happened and Legolas continued to clean the wounds with the, now, bloody piece of cloth.

But suddenly the wounds stopped bleeding, and when he let the cloth clean the wound one more time, he could discern the skin that slowly extended until it finally covered the wounds, creating silvery scars. The scars disappeared after a moment as well and her body finally relaxed, she fell into a deep sleep.

Legolas gasped, never had he seen anything like this. What was the water? And from where had she got it? He held up the bottle and studied the clear liquid in the vague light of the moon.

xxx

Aragorn ran back to the place he had left Legolas and Edengwen. He had been away for about ten minutes and had found a hand full of Athelas, the healing herb. It was not much, but it was all he had found and he had no time to keep looking.

He saw Legolas sitting on his knees next to the girl, letting his gaze study every inch of her open back.

"How is she?-" Aragorn asked, but let his voice fade as he saw the girls back. It was perfectly soft and clean with no wounds to be seen, as if her back never had been touched. He frowned and blinked in confusion.

"I do not know how, but she has most likely saved herself." Legolas replied, before explaining what had happen in the absence of Aragorn.


	18. Chapter 17

**_I thought, "Why not add a nice old disclaimer? I haven't done thet yet." so here we go;_**

**_I do only own my own character (and the plot, huh?) , everything else belongs to J.R.R Tolkien, aka one of the greatest authours and humans ever, and stories as for examlpe The tale of the sun and the moon comes from Book of lost tales._**

**I believe I got some fluff for you xD**

**Oh and btw I did my best with the sindarin words, I used a Sindarin-English dictionary online and all of the words didn't exist so I had to take the loong way around so I'm not quite sure that all of the words and the grammar is correct. But, well well...**

**Enjoy :P**

**Answers:**

**Sadiana: How could I ever get tired of you?! :D I am honestly so flattered and it means so much to me that you like it :)**

**KiyaJinnSkywalkerKenobi: Well, I think you're gonna like this chapter :)**

**Muirgen79: Well, I believe so. And it's a scene that's always been there (in my mind) so it wouldn't feel right to not have it :)**

**xxx**

_Icecold water tickled my toes as I dipped my feet into the creek. The forest was dressed in beautiful nuances of green and the warmth from the sun filled the air with a pleasant, dry scent along with the grass and pollen._

_I laid down on the soft grass and a clear laugh escaped from my lips as I saw little, blue birds fly over my head. They played a game of 'tag' with each other and their rapid wings carried them with swiftness through the air._

_My laugh was answered by one of bells, I sat myself up and peeked over my shoulder. Not very far from me, Lindir sat on a stone with one of his books in his lap. He followed the playful birds with his gaze before he turned his head and looked straight at me with a smile._

_I quickly stood and ran forth to him. My thin, white dress moved like waves about my feet as I ran. Lindir stood from where he sat and held out his arms towards me, we embraced each other as I ran into his arms. He held me and I nuzzled my head into his velvet robe._

_He smelled of sweet flowers, like the ones that grows in Rivendell, just as usual and I could feel myself relax in his arms._

"_I-I've missed you." I murmured into his robe._

"_I've missed you too." he replied and pulled back, just to place his hands on my shoulders and to look into my eyes. Oh I had missed him so much it almost ached, he truly was my friend, my soul-brother. Without him, nothing was quite as it should._

_He sat down on the stone again and I sat down next to him, leaning my head against his shoulder. I felt so happy, and free. It was all over now, and I was home, right where I should be. I couldn't remember the details from my journey, but I remember doing it._

_He held up the book, and I noticed that it was the book of the eldars(elves) history, before opening it and placing it in his lap._

"_Shall I begin where we took off?" he said and carefully turned his head to me so my resting head wouldn't fall. I nodded and pulled up my knees a bit._

_He told me the most wonderful of stories, of how the Valar discovered the first eldar, of how Ulmo had taken one of Ossë's islands to transport the elves to Valinor, and how Ossë had done everything of his power to stop him, how he had chained every of his islands to the bottom of the sea with stone, the creation of the island Kôr and how they created gemstones as rubines, which they colored red by the color of roses, sapphires, from the water, and diamonds, from drew drops and the winds of Manwë, and of how Fëanor had created the silmarils._

_The day had begun to come to its end, the azure sky had been replaced with a orange, pink and red sky of flames. The breeze was now chilly instead of pleasant and I shivered and snug into Lindir's side. He placed his arm over my shoulders to cover them from cold._

_Suddenly, the sky darkened by grey clouds and the wind grew stronger. The leaves in the trees razzled and the birds had taken cover. Lindir pulled back his arm and stood, slowly walking forth a bit._

"_Lindir?" I asked questionly and a bit frightened, but he didn't reply. I stood and walked forth to him, he was stiff, as if he was a sculpture of ice, and it worried me. But as I approached him, he turned to me and placed his hand on my cheek._

"_You have to go now." he said with a sad look upon his face._

"_What? Where?" I asked, confused and frustrated. "I'm not gonna leave, not now when I've finally come back to you-" I continued but was interrupted._

"_Hush now." he shushed me and stroke my gold-white hair. "We will see each other soon enough." he continued. "Be careful."_

"_But, I don't wanna go." I cried. He looked down at me with a sad but clever wry smile on his lips. He bent forward and kissed my forehead._

"_Time will go by faster than you can imagine." he whispered and slowly pulled back. He wiped away a tear that fell down my cheek with his thumb._

_The wind blew harder and pulled me away from him, I fought against it but it was a hopeless attempt. Instead of the roaring wind the sound of running water echoed in my ears._

__"_Lindir!" I screamed in panic. My muscles were cramping but I still tried to get closer to the other part of my soul, that stood strong and solid while I was torn apart from him._

__"_I''m proud of you!" he called, over what sound like waves striking against great cliffs._

xxx

The sound of a nearby brook played in my ears, a pleasant sound, especially in the morning. The grass played on the tip of my nose which caused me to wrinkle it and make a sweet, sleepy sneeze.

I slightly opened my eyes and blinked a few times to get used to the light. The sunshines broke through the foliage and shone right onto my face, so I used my hand to block it from blinding me.

"Edengwen?" I heard Aragorn ask as he approached before crouching next to me. He laid a careful hand on my shoulder and I pulled myself up into sitting position.

Something fell off my back and I looked over my shoulder. I saw that it had been my, dirty and frayed, cloak that had fallen, leaving my back bare. I frowned and turned my head a bit more, seeing that the back of my tunic had been ripped apart.

"What?" I murmured and reached my hand to touch the ragged fabric.

"How are you feeling?" Aragorn asked in his deep, solid voice. But he seemed to hold something back, because his eyes flicked nervously from my face to my hand. I pulled back my hand and looked at him with a wrinkle between my eyebrows.

"I'm just fine." I said in a, surprisingly, calm and steady voice. I felt very confused and out of context. I still held on to my dream and my body felt as if it had been ripped apart.

Legolas stood from where he sat and approached us, to crouch next to Aragorn. He looked at me with worried eyes.

"What do you remember from yesterday?" he asked slowly. What were they doing? They acted as if I was a baby or something.

But then I remembered. I remembered the dark tunnels, the goblins with the horrid yellow eyes, the constant pain on my back… My hand flew to my back again, I had neither wounds nor scars - the Athelas water.

I turned my head and looked at Legolas.

"Did you use all of it?" I asked him quietly. He blinked and let his gaze fall to my bag before he looked back at me.

"No." he replied and I sighed. That bottle was the only one I had. "The water healed you, what is it?" he asked. I looked down at my hands, which played with a stalk of grass.

"It has got its strength from Athelas." I murmured, seeing from the corner of my eye how Legolas and Aragorn looked at each other, understanding. Aragorn shook his head and grinned.

"You're full of surprises." he said before turning serious again. "And you do not feel anything at all?"

"Honestly, it's better than ever." I said and gave him a wry smile. His eyes smiled back at me.

"Then we'll be leaving in a moment." he said but hesitated. "Can you tell us what happened? Why did you leave us, or did they capture you?" he continued.

In lack of energy to explain it with words, I held out my hand towards him and the other one to Legolas - he did probably wonder too.

I showed them the last night, that I had heard the noise and how I had gone to check it out, how the goblins had encircled me and taken me captive. I did my best to leave out the pain-part, they were not in need to know how much I had suffered. After what had felt like an eternity, I was done and pulled back my hands.

Aragorn stood and looked down at me with, what he tried to hide, sorrow. I felt a bit ashamed for leaving them last night, through their minds I had felt how much concern and worry it had caused them.

"We are very close to the borders of Lorien. We'll be leaving as soon as possible." he said and went forth to the horses. Legolas reached out his hands towards me, he held forth piece of bread.

"Here, you need it." he said. I willingly took the bread and began to eat it. I could never recall a time where old, dry bread tasted as good as right now. He took my bag and began to search through it. When he had found what he had searched for, he held out the light blue spare-tunic.

"You probably want to change." he said and I took the tunic from his hand. "Your shirt was already ruined when I had to cut it." he explained.

"It's fine." I said. "It's just a shirt." I continued. He nodded and stood.

"We'll give you some privacy." he said and went past Aragorn, who followed him with their horses into the forest.

I sat up properly, stretched my arms and yawned. My dream came back to me, the memory hit me as if I had run into a wall. The pictures was as clear as day; I could see it in front of me, hear the song from the birds and smell the scents.

I had of course heard the story, the one Lindir told me in the dream, before. Actually, it had been one of the last stories he had told me…

It stung in my stomach and I cried silently - it had all been a dream, just a dream. After a moment I pulled myself together, after all, Aragorn and Legolas were waiting for me, we had to move.

I pulled off the tunic, the green color could barely be seen through the layers of dirt, and studied my bare arms. They were as dirty as the shirt. I moved forth to a small inlet by the brook, the placid water reflected my jaded face. I cupped my hands and filled them with water, letting the cold liquid pour down my face, neck and arms, taking the dirt with it.

I repeated a few times until I was clean and then I pulled on the light blue tunic. I looked down at my reflection in the water again and sighed. The clip in my hair hang loose in my tangled hair. I removed it and brushed my fingers through it, before I pulled back two strings of hair and attached the clip.

I stood and pulled up my bag, throwing it over my shoulder. I approached a excited Arahael, I had totally forgotten about him! He placed his nose in my hand, that I held up, and we shared a moment. I felt his worry and calmed him down by showing him that I felt fine.

I mount him and rode in the direction Aragorn and Legolas had headed. I was ready to continue, to enter the new realm and to learn new things, with the knowledge that every day brought me closer to my journey home.

xxx

The sun touched the tops of the mountains in the west, the sky was orange and the clouds were purple. Aragorn had said just a minute ago that we had finally reached the forest of Lothlórien, and honestly, it was breathtaking.

The mallorn-trees stood solemn and grew high towards the sky. The bark of the trees was smooth and grey, and the leaves was golden and had not yet fallen.

"Not till the spring when new, green leaves opens and the boughs are covered with yellow flowers do they fall." Legolas explained with a satisfied smile on his lips, I catched a spark of happiness and amazement in his eyes.

Yes, the woodland was a joy to walk in. If the elven city, or to wherever we headed, was as beautiful as this part of the woods, then I think I'm gonna like it here. The air was filled with a melody so clear and deep, like sunlight that shines through layers of glass, but I could not discern from where the music came. It seemed as is the forest was singing itself.

"_Daro."_ (Halt) a clear, female voice called from above us. The word did not sound familiar in my ears, but Legolas said;

"Stop and don't move."

He sharpened his ears and flickered his eyes about us, but he didn't seem bothered. After all, we were expected.

Suddenly, elves began to appear about us. I didn't see from where the came, but they encircled us and a tall and slender woman approached us. Her hair was blonde and shimmered like gold in the last sunlights of this day. But her eyes were grey, almost silver, and they matched the grey robe she wore. A quiver rested on her back and she held the bow in her hand with a firm, yet humble, grip.

"Mae l'ovannen, Legolas Thranduilion, Aragorn en Dúnedain." she said, bowing her head to Legolas and Aragorn as she mentioned their names. She found me with her unfaltering gaze and bowed, without taking her eyes off me. (Welcome, Legolas son of Thranduil, Aragorn of the Dúnedain.)

"A len suilon, Edengwen en Imaldris, an nen gwanur gar dartha anann an le. Mae l'ovannen a Lothlórien." she said, but I did quite not understand. I looked questionly at Legolas, who rode in between Aragorn and me, and he placed one of his hands on mine.

_And I greet you, Edengwen of Rivendell, for my kin has waited long for you. Welcome to Lothlórien._

He translated and removed his hand as I nodded understanding. I bowed my head to the lady, who still looked at me.

"Thank you, my lady." I thanked politely and she smiled at me. From the corner of my eyes I noticed that Aragorn and Legolas had a vague smile upon their lips as well, but I shrugged it off my mind.

"My name is Beleth and I will guide you to Caras Galadhon, where lord Celeborn and lady Galadriel are awaiting you." she said. "We will move to one of our stations where you can rest for the night." she continued before turning around and began to walk into the forest.

We followed her and the rest of the elves followed us.

xxx

The night had fallen and the darkness had spread over the forest. Beleth had taken us to one of their, talan as they called them, which was a ledge built of plateaus of stone, shaped as leaves.

The forest had seemed to become more beautiful the closer we got to the elven city.

Beleth had gone away to one of the other talans, but two elves of her company stood as guards in our talan. I watched them as they looked out into the forest, speaking elvish in low voices. I moved my gaze and looked at Aragorn and Legolas, they laid on the floor next to me, a short distance away, and looked to sleep deep.

Me, on the other hand, found it hard to fall asleep. I couldn't get myself sleepy, no matter how I laid or what I thought about. My mind was all messy and caused me to think of my home and how far away I was.

I sat up with a sigh, the sight of Aragorn and Legolas sleeping caused the corner of my mouth to twitch into a wry smile. They looked so peaceful, so innocent, like children.

I stood silently and moved towards one of the larger branches of the tree. The two guards looked questioningly at me but returned to their conversation when I gave a nod towards the tree crowns. I climbed up, hoping that a moment in the fresh air could ease my mind.

The wind blew the hair away from my face and the fresh breeze calmed down my nerves a bit. I climbed up all the way and sat down on one of the tree crowns. The sky above me seemed greater and more empty than ever, even if it was filled with thousands of lights.

The world seemed me to be so much bigger on the night, the darkness caused it to disappear, to vanish.

Some razzling leaves from behind me caught my attention and I quickly turned my head. Legolas blonde head popped up through the foliage. I sighed, in relief, and moved my gaze down to my lap.

"Hi, I saw you were absent and the guards told me that you were up here." he said and climbed a little higher. He now sat, crouched, on the top of the branches, looking at me a bit worried. "How are you faring?" he asked, loud enough for me to her but too quiet for anyone else, without moving any further.

"I am." I replied, still looking down at my hands. "I had some trouble falling asleep, that's all. Thought that some fresh air might could do." I continued and he nodded understanding.

"I see." he said. "I will give you some time to yourself then." he continued and began to climb down again.

"Legolas, wait." I called quietly. He stopped and climbed back up again, looking curiously at me. "Can you tell me a story?" I asked, a bit bothered, after a moment of silence, too embarrassed to look at him - since it had been a bit awkward between us.

When I looked up I catched him smiling at me, his eyes were twinkling of amusement and of total compassion.

"Of course." he whispered, moving forth and sitting down next to me. "Anything in particular you would like to hear?" he asked with a sweet voice. For a moment I just looked up into the sky, I actually had no idea.

After a moment of thinking, I smiled wryly and opened my mouth.

"I have always been fascinated by the moon, every night I look upon it and wonder how many others are doing the same thing." I paused and looked at him. "Tell me the story of the moon." I said.

And he told me. He told me about how Melko and Wirilómë had destroyed the trees of Valinor, that the Valar had mourned and how they had done everything in their power to bring the golden and the silver trees back to life. But only the crestfallen tears on the golden tree, Laurelin, of Vala Vána had caused it to grow a bough full with golden leaves and sprigs. But when all the golden flowers fell, the last one had grown big and golden and the Valar named it Sári, the sun. Urwendis and her maidens had became in charge of the golden ship, to which Vala Vána had sacrificed her hair to give it its sail, and they sailed over the heavens.

But the constant light had had its effect on Valinor, the Valar and the eldars, for the heat had ruined the gardens and had caused the roses to fade. But then, as Vala Lórien had sung for the silver tree, Silpion, a similar bough had grown with leaves of deep green and silver, and the last flower grew into a large silver globe, one equivalent Sári.

Lórien said that the ship of sun shall sail over the sky twelve hours a day, while the rose of Silpion shall sail the other twelve. The ship of silver was given the name Rána, the moon, and the spirit Ilinsor, who loved the snow and the starlight, was along with some other spirits given the task to be in charge over it. High in the sky, the two globes of light sailed, one of pure light of silver and one of shimmering gold.

The story was long, longer than I had imagined, but alas so interesting. I listened to Legolas with wide eyes and sharp ears, and did not interrupt him, not even for questions - for them he would answer later in the story. As soon as he finished, I decided that it was one of my favorite stories so far.

But the story had caused me to think of my home, and I was now looking with a longing gaze at the mountains in the west, trying to see beyond them.

"I miss it." I whispered, my eyes teared up a bit, but I was determined not to cry. He looked sadly at me.

"I know." he said. After a moment, he laid his arm around my shoulder with his hand gingerly placed on my shoulder, in consolation. My first reaction was to pull back, but it somehow felt so soothing that I let it be. I blushed by shame as a thought appeared in my mind.

"What is it?" Legolas asked when he saw that something bothered me. Still with my face turned downwards I opened my mouth a couple of times before I knew how to say it.

"I'm sorry for being so cold towards you." I finally managed to say, and I was. I felt ashamed, for not giving him a chance to show me who he truly was. Certainly when there was nothing to apologize for - he had only done what he thought had been right. Even if it was his 'fault' that I had been brought to Rivendell, he had never meant any harm to cause me.

"You have shown to me nothing but kindness, but I have never given you a chance when you deserved one." I explained, feeling better now when I had said it out loud, as if a stone had lifted from my chest. I hadn't realised it until by now, but I had acted as a child towards him. "I'm sorry." I apologized one last time and hesitated. "And I trust you." I whispered, with a soft lump in my throat.

He gently hugged my shoulders with his arm and looked down at me with a smile. His eyes gave away his surprisement and happiness, but something else were there too - he seemed to be proud over me, and it caused my cheeks to heaten.

"You have nothing to forgive, all is forgotten." he whispered back, and I gave away a little smile.

I stood and turned to him.

"Thank you for the story, I very much appreciated it." I said. "And it fulfilled it purpose, for now I believe I can sleep for the whole night and the whole day." I told him.

Instead of saying anything, he placed his left hand on his heart and bowed his head, as if to say 'it was my pleasure', before we moved back to our talan.

I stole a last view of the ocean of golden leaves, which glew silver in the moonlight, before I climbed down to where I was supposed to be.

**xxx**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I just wanna say that I had to short down the story of the sun and the moon a bit (it's 28 pages in the book, heh). I just finished reading the chapter and it was one of the best this far, but it's a bit hard to write it understandable ****_and_**** short so I just did my best and it's not as good as in the book but it'll do.  
Goodnight, and don't forget to tell me what you think :3**

**PS. For those who noticed; yes I ****_kindasortof_**** quoted Legolas when they arrive to Lothlórien, but hey, he's Legolas - how could I write their arrival without quoting him? *Laughing smiley that cries which looks so much better rather than to describe at 00.00am in the morning***


	19. A good impression

**Hello there, got the next one for you.**

**I've decided to give the chapters names from now just so you know, but except that ****I don't really have anything special to say but thanks for readig my story. I have a hard time realizing that people actuelly enjoy what comes out of this mind of mine :P Maybe it's because I'm all sleepy and deep but where id the world do you guys live? It would be quite interesting to know a bit more about the ones that read this (:**

**But anyhow, goodnight from Sweden and I hope you'll enjoy!**

**KiyaJinnSkywalkerKenobi: Yay! Glad you liked it :)**

**Muirgen79: :)**

**Blue mountain fairy: *ignoring you as told* no but really - you'll see along the story :)**

**xxx**

The woodland was even more beautiful in the morning - the spotlights of sunshine that broke through the foliage along with the moist fog on the ground caused it to look very mysterious, but alas lovely.

A few birds were singing in clear tunes from where they sat in the trees. I curiously studied them, I had never seen any bird like those before. They were in the size of my palm, gray with pitch black beaks. They tilted their heads and tweeted as they curiously looked at me. I tilted my head back at them.

The other elves, and Aragorn, rode and went in silence. I wondered how they entertained themselves, that were they thinking on to pass the time?

Aragorn had a concerned look upon his face, as if he was in the deepest of thoughts. His eyes were dark and enigmatic, while his lips were wry and relaxed. Legolas, on the other hand, was focusing on the environment about us and his gaze was often fixed on the trees and the foliage. His face was bright, and he seemed to be joyful just being here.

Beleth and the other elves of her company just seemed pretty… Blank - they just looked ahead on the path in front of us with blank faces and they didn't talk to each other. It almost looked as if they were walking in their sleep.  
I sighed quietly. After these past couples of weeks my patience had been reduced by each day that had gone by.

"_Soo bored. Nothing to do. Are we there yet?"_ I thought by myself, there would be no point in whining to the others. The forest was, as I've said before, beautiful, but each mile were alas alike the one before, and the one before that. We seemed to get nowhere.

And the fact that my nervosity grew every step Arahael took didn't help. My memory of The lady of light was weak, but I remembered feeling comfortable in her company. But why had I felt that way, and would I still feel it? But what if won't like it there? What if the coming four months would be get as awful as they possibly could? I wouldn't be bothered if the elves didn't like me, but there was something about The lady that caused me to think differently.

"_I wanna make a good impression."_ I confessed to myself, partly surprised by the honesty behind the words. But why? Why did I feel that way? Was it because I didn't want to let her down? Or Elrond, or anyone else?

I shook my head to get rid of the thought for a minute. I had changed - I realized. I wasn't the same person as I had been when I first arrived in Rivendell.

"You seem to be in deep thoughts." Aragorn said questionly and I looked up. He had a twinkle in his eyes and did not seem to intend to snooping about in my personal life. I gave him a clever smile and raised my chin a bit.

"So did you just a minute ago." I replied and hesitated before following question. "When will we arrive?" I continued. He inhaled and seemed to bite the inside of his cheek.

"I don't know," he said casually. "I've never been here before." he continued and I frowned.

"You mean, you have never… Actually been here before?" I asked with disbelief. He nodded and smiled at my confusion. I blinked a few times before I continued. "But Legolas has been here before, hasn't he?" I whispered. Legolas rode in front of us, still looking about on the surroundings, seeming to not having taken notice of our conversation, but I bet he had heard us and just was acting polite. Aragorn's mouth twitched.

"No, he hasn't." he said.

I couldn't believe it. Had Elrond actually sent two men to guide me to somewhere the had never been before?

"Well, I guess that explains why it took so long getting here." I said carefully and in lack of anything else to say. Legolas snorted in laughter, trying to control himself, in front of us and Aragorn frowned amused. My cheeks heated as I realised what I had just said. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"Don't you worry." a smiling Aragorn interrupted and held up one of his hand as if to say 'No offense taken'. I gave him a vague smile, still with hot, red cheeks.

"Mithrandir told me it would only take two weeks to reach the realm." I told him shyly. "But by that time we were still in the mountains." I continued. He knew what he was talking about, Mithrandir. He always did. "If he would have traveled with us he would have made sure to arrive exactly on the fourteenth day." I continued. "Precisely when he meant to." I whispered.

I remembered the last thing he had said to me, that day I was leaving Rivendell.

"_What if I won't like it there? After all, I'll be staying there for four whole months." I had told him with concern._

"_Now don't make a fool of yourself." he said with low eyebrows and a warning finger, as if I had said something offensive. "Of course you will cherish your stay in Lothlórien, don't let your mind tell you anything different from that." he continued and comforting patted my shoulder. "And do not worry yourself, the lady of light will not let any harm come upon you. I can tell she adores you and she will give you whatever your heart desires."_

Right now I really missed him. I missed his clever advises, his chuckle, his stories. I even missed the smell of his tobac. I stood so close to him and he to me, we had spent hours exposing our souls and our deepest of thoughts to each other, and we would not see each other in a very long time.

Aragorn saw the concern that covered my eyes and was just about to place his hand on mine, but stopped himself as the horses halted.

"We have now arrived." Beleth said and made a gesture with her hand. "Caras Galadhon, the city of Lothlórien." she continued with pride in her voice.

Ahead of us, on a hill top, great trees reached up towards the sky. It was magnificent; all golden and shimmering in the light of the twilight. The sight filled me with joy and brightness, I had never seen anything as beautiful in my whole life.

xxx

We entered through two trees with silver bark and the branches that met created an archway. A vibrant song echoed from the tops of the trees, it seemed to come from every direction. It ensnared my mind in an almost hypnotizing illusion. Voices so tuneful and harmonic that they could compare themselves with the wind itself. I'd describe it as sweet, as a river of pure honey, yet powerful, as a roaring waterfall.

Beleth told us to leave the horses at the stable right next to us, so we dismounted and continued by foot. Arahael did not like me leaving him, but I promised to come to him as fast as I could.

Torches with vivid flames lit up the path ahead of us. The trees were wider and taller the deeper into the city we got. The paths were grey and made out of stone, with steps every once in a while. Along the paths, flowers of red, orange and yellow grew peacefully.

First I didn't notice the buildings in the trees, but when I did, I had to draw by breath. Great staircases had been built in spirals around the trees, white and completely made out of wood, and when they reached the branches ample houses took place, with huge balconies and grey drapes that moved smoothly in the wind.

It was dark now, the sun had hid behind the mountains just a couple of minutes ago, and the thick foliage prevented the moonlight to shine through, except for certain openings that caused the light to shine in into the city as spotlights.

Beleth led us to a staircase and we followed her upwards along the huge tree. I saw the ground getting further away and the branches getting closer, my feet moved swiftly even if I was tired. A lump of nervousness had grown inside of me and it got heavier by every step I took.

We finally reached the top of the stairs and entered a house, very alike the gazebos of Rivendell, and stepped in upon light grey platforms, that constituted the floor. In front of us there was another staircase, but Beleth had stopped and made no sign to continue. So there we stood, all the three of us lined up, waiting for the lord and the lady of this enchanting land.

I uncertainly looked upon Aragorn, who stood on my right side, but he did not take notice of me. So instead I looked to my left, where Legolas stood with his hands clasped in front of him. He turned his head and gave me an understanding smile.

"There is nothing to be worrying about." he whispered quietly enough so that only I could hear the words he spoke. They didn't help very much, but I looked deep inside of me and held on to the little part of braveness I could find.

I suddenly realized, that the only two people I knew since before would soon be taking off, leaving me here alone, without anyone I know. That a great part of the lump in my stomach was composed by this fact, even if I hadn't thought about it until now…

I snapped out of my thoughts by the sound of light footsteps. The image of two figures smoothly floated down the stairs, one strong and mighty and the other one pure and light. The lord was dressed in white and light green robes while the lady wore a long, white and silky dress. They both had blonde hair and blue eyes, and matching circlets in silver and gold.

They were unbelievably beautiful, and breathtaking. I followed the others example and bowed. Due to my eyes were closed, I didn't notice when the others returned into regular positions which caused me to look like fool, holding my head down in order to show respect.

It was first when two cold fingertips touched my chin as I straightened myself and blushed when I understood what had happened. The lord in front of me took a step back, to stand next to his lady, and bowed his head as he placed his left right hand on his heart, which only caused my cheeks to heaten more. I really didn't like these sorts of politeness, they made me feel as I was big and important.

"Welcome to the city of Lothlórien. I hope your journey has been safe." he said, still with his eyes looked upon mine, when he had straightened himself. As no one else said anything, and my heart began to pound hard by the awkward silence - was I supposed to say something? - so to fill out the silence I opened my mouth and said the first thing on my mind.

"Relatively." I exhaled with wide eyes and a tense body. The lord raised one of his eyebrows and I could feel how Aragorn and Legolas turned their heads to look at me, waiting for what I would say next. As I didn't - the lord, in his turn, turned to Aragorn who gave a nod.

"We have faced quite some more than we had meant to." he said. As the lord replied something in the elvish tongue, I placed my fingertips on Legolas's hand.

_What's his name,_

I asked.

_Celeborn, lord of Lothlórien,_

Was the first words that flew through his mind when he was told the question and I pulled back my hand before he had answered as he had meant to.

I noticed the lady Galadriel turn her head and she locked her eyes onto mine. I could nothing do, but to look back at her, incapable of breaking the contact between us. Not realizing that I had hold my breath, I exhaled and had to draw a deep breath to take back the lost air. She smiled and her eyes softened and I then managed to move my gaze to my hands, ashamed.

"_A good impression right there."_ I thought ironically to myself, holding back a yawn.

"Aragorn and Legolas, you are welcome to stay here for as long as you desire." the lady said with her clear voice and the two men thanked her politely before she continued. "We may exchange more words tomorrow, but for now I believe it would be best for you is to rest for the night." she continued, this time to the all of us. Celeborn noded and made a gesture to one of the servants that stood by the entrance.

"Aewenor, will you show our guests to their rooms." he said rather than asked, but the elven man just mumbled something confirming and waited for us to follow him. This was almost weird - this would probably be the last night I slept among them. After the couple of weeks that had passed I had gotten used to their company. It will feel empty when I go back to sleeping by myself.

We followed the elf down the stairs and he lead us along one of the paths. Aewenor was tall, taller than most of the elves, and had strawberry blonde hair that ended just above his shoulder blades, just like the most of the elves I'd seen here. It was a bit odd to see so many blonds, since brown hair was the most common one back in Rivendell.

"My lady, you will not sleep here - another room has been prepared for you." the elf said and looked a bit bothered. I quickly looked at Legolas and Aragorn, who stood by the entrance to a room-like space created by roots, before turning to the concerned elf.

"Of course." I stammered tired and followed him, leaving the men behind us. I didn't even think of saying goodnight.

We followed the path just a bit away, before turning in on a vacant lane in between the trees. The lane led to a great tree with one of the white staircases built around it. Aewenor stopped by the bottom of the stairs and turned to me before bowing.

"This is your dwelling, The lady hopes that you will enjoy it, for she has been preparing it herself." he said and left before I had time to say thank you. I felt rude, and I probably was, but right now I was too tired to be bothered.

I followed the staircase up to the great branches, where my room was supposed to be. As I took the final step I had to stop and admire what was in front of me. The branches were dressed in white platforms, like the ones in the room we had met the lord and the lady, and a white railing of carved tree followed it. Other carved trees had been placed to create a great archway, as an entrance to the tree, which was naturally open - like the one which I used to live in in the woods.

The inside of the tree was as any normal room. The ceiling was high and different patterns had been carved into it, on one side of the room there stood a desk made out of dark brown wood and a mirror with silver framing hung in front of it. Excep the desk, great bookshelves, high enough to reach the top of the room, stood along the walls and a spiral staircase followed them to make it easier to reach the books in the top shelves. Underneath the staircase, right by the wall, a giant, white bed had been placed.

The instant I saw it I yawned and decided to go right to bed. I sat down on the bed and drew my fingers over the soft fabric with half-closed eyes. My fingers suddenly discovered another, lighter, piece of fabric on the cover and I opened my eyes to notice a nightgown.

My lips twitched, I hadn't been sleeping in one of these for weeks.

I removed the clip from my hair and placed it on the desk before taking off my outworn clothes and pulling the nightgown over myself. The silky dress followed my body all the way down to my feet, and the arms were made of soft lace. I buried myself into the covers and nuzzled my face into the pillows.

I sighed and let my body relax. The cool air tingled on my face as I rolled over onto my back and stared up into the ceiling. My eyelids closed halfways and I fell into a state between sleeping and being awake.


	20. Illumëndil

**Here we go again then :)**

**Enjoy!**

**KiyaJinnSkywalkerKenobi: Yay I'm glad you liked it, both the chapter and the description :3 Thank you so much!**

**Muirgen79: :)**

**xxx**

The sunshines glew upon my face as the sun rose above the horizon, causing me to wake up to a white light that surrounded everything. First after a few blinks I could discern the room I laid in. A moment of confusion held me tense before I remembered the last night and relaxed.

I stretched out and sat up, dangling my feet above the floor, before standing up and curiously looking about in my new bedroom. I touched the bookshelves that were filled with books of all sorts and kinds; thick books, thin, red, orange and all the colors you could ever imagine. Some were written in the common tongue, while the title of others had been written in the elvish one.

I suddenly noticed a wardrobe that had been hiding between the shelves. I reached for the silver knobs and turned them around. The wardrobe was empty, which caused it to look greater than it already was.

I closed the doors again and turned to my bed, where I pulled off the nightgown I'd been sleeping in. It was actually very comfortable.

"_If all the dresses here are as convenient as this, then I might consider wearing one."_ I thought while dressing myself in the clothes I'd been traveling in, but I didn't bother to put on my shoes - why would I? Instead, I went through the delicate archway and found myself on the balcony.

The sight of the rising sun was alluring. The golden globe cast pretty sunlights on the already golden leaves, which also reflected the red morning sky. The scent of the early day was enchanting; dewy and fresh, the smell of ripe earth and grass. I did also discern the appealing smell of wild roses, which grew nearby among other kinds of flowers.

I took a deep breath and followed the stairs that lead down the huge tree. The green grass tickled the soles of my bare feet, which of course felt wonderful.

"_I've spent far too long time with my feet down those shoes."_ I decided as I followed the lane out to the stone path, but hesitated immediately. From which way had we come from yesterday? I had been too busy with my thoughts to pay any attention to which way we had taken. "_Right or left?" _I wondered while biting on my lower lip. I sighed and decided to take left, hopefully it was the right way.

A vibrant song echoed among the trees, as if all of the living creatures had decided to sing, all joined together. I could not tell if either to describe it as light and pure or as deep and modulated.

As I strolled on the paths, trying to find the right one, I let my gaze look up and view the city that had been built in the trees. High up, I could see the tiny figures of elves move as they walked over bridges and stood by the railing on their balconies. Some of them noticed me and raised their hands in greeting, and to those who did, I shyly raised my hand back at them, which caused many of them to smile and chuckle.

Pure tunes suddenly caught my attention. It was a beautiful song, sung by many silvery voices, deep and light at the same time. Harps and flutes joined in which caused the melody to be even more pleasurable. I did not understand the words, but the song brought joy and happiness with it. I unconsciously followed the music, and it became more enchanting the closer I got, until I could see the elves sing and play on their instruments, while others danced about in the glade. The whole scene was so harmonic and it almost felt as if I was dreaming.

To avoid being noticed I pulled myself in behind a tree and only let a small part of my face expose itself as I dreamy followed the moving figures. No one had noticed me yet, so I allowed myself to stay a little more. The music was divine and I had to force myself back to the path again - it was only a question of time until someone would take notice of me, and I had to find Aragorn and Legolas. Wherever they were I hoped they had breakfast, for I had not eaten since lunch the last day.

I slowly drew myself backwards, having a hard time to let my gaze go off the dancing figures, and stumbled upon a small root that broke through the earth. I fell backwards, through a green bush and into two maidens before I landed on the hard path with my bum first.

"Ouch!" I hissed as I landed and I brushed off some dirt from my tunic. I suddenly remembered the two maidens and quickly jumped to my feet.

As I turned around I was met by the sight of two fair women that amused looked at me. Both of them wore white gowns with long, see-through sleeves and had long golden hair that ended first at their waists. But the similarities didn't stop there, in fact, the only differences I could discern was that one of them had plump lips and the other one had pitch blue eyes instead of grey. They had to be sisters, if not twins.

"F-forgive me." I stammered and bowed, trying to make up for my rudeness. But the two of them just smiled back at me, and when I rose it was their turn to bow their heads in respect. I tilted my head in confusion and wondered why they hadn't taken any offense.

"No harm caused, you have nothing to forgive." the one with the eyes said with joyful eyes and I blushed. As I was about to turn around and flee along the path, but the other maiden continued.

"Tell me, what are you doing here all by yourself?" the one with the lips continued, in a voice much cleared than her sister.

"I… I'm kind of lost." I confessed and looked down at my feet. The maidens' clear laugh reached my ears and I looked up.

"Well," the one with the eyes said with a smile on her lips. "We can't have it that way, can we? Let me and my sister guide you back to your company, Gilrin." she continued. I gratefully smiled back at her with my wry smile. So, I had been right about the sister-thing. And what had they called me? Ah, well-well, I guess it doesn't matter.

"Yes please." I replied and the both of them looked upon me, with such admiration and tenderness thaw it caused me to blush, before beginning to walk on each side of me.

"My name is Elumir." the one with the eyes said.

"And I am Merileth." the other one continued. Before I had any chance to introduce myself, she had opened her rosy mouth again. "Our people have eagerly awaited your arrival. We are delighted to finally welcome you to our kingdom." she continued calm and cheerful.

I opened my mouth but shut it again, what would I respond to that? But I didn't have to worry, for the sisters did with pleasure continue the conversation by telling me about themselves; about their family and their favorite places, colors, what they liked to the time we had arrived to the glade, they weren't even halfway finished.

In the glade they had lead me to, I saw Aragorn and Legolas sit by a table, filled with lovely fruits and berries, with their backs towards us, they hadn't noticed us where we stood behind them. I was a bit unsure if to approach them, what if they wanted to be alone? I didn't get to continue my thoughts, because both Elumir and Merileth pulled me with them into the glade by my sleeves, laughing tenderly at the surprised expression on my face.

The two men turned around as they herd the females' laughter and smiled at me. The two maidens let go of my sleeves to bow.

"I believe we found someone who belongs to you." Merileth spoke and looked, with a smile, at Aragorn and then Legolas, who placed their hands over their hearts and bowing their heads in politeness. The two maidens bowed once again and then left.

"Goodbye, Gilrin, may we speak soon again." Elumir called with a joyous voice as she and her sister disappeared into the forest. Legolas's chuckle caused her to turn her head towards them.

"I reckon you've had quite an interesting morning?" Aragorn said with a raised eyebrow. I just sighed and slowly shook my head as I joined them at the table - I'd never before met two elves that spoke as much as those two did.

My eyes grew wide as my gaze flickered between the good food on the table. Everything from berries and fruits to bread with honey and jam of all sorts, rusks and strawberry pies, pastries I'd never seen before.

I greedy grabbed a piece of bread and buttered it with a thick layer of butter and sweet honey before I took a giant bite of it. It tasted better than ever, right now I felt as if I could eat only this for the rest of my life. I finished it and picked a red apple, I loved apples, and studied it in the light before taking a bite. It was sweet yet tart, as I prefered them. I swallowed and mumbled:

"For how long will you stay here?" I asked casually before taking another bite. Legolas got a wrinkle between his eyebrows and looked at Aragorn, who looked at me before letting his gaze fall to the apple in his hands which he played with. He raised his eyebrows which caused him to frown.

"We will leave in a day or two." he said and looked up, with his head slightly tilted in a position I'd learned he found most comfortable. He saw the shock, along with the disappointment, on my face and continued. "We are needed in other ways." he explained with sad eyes and I nodded understanding.

"Of course." I intended to say, but it came out more as a whisper. I quickly cleaned my throat and casually continued my meal until the hunger was no more. Aragorn and Legolas had continued one of their arguments and spoke in low voices, using the elvish tongue. Gosh I hated it when people did that - speak in another language right in front of me, like if they pretended that I wasn't there or something.

It was first when I leaned back on the chair and focused on the environment. A few birds sat in different trees and imitated each others songs, while the melody of a small book played in the background and a silent wind blew among the branches of the trees. It was quite a beautiful day, and I wondered what the rest of it would be like.

"What do you think of the kingdom?" Legolas suddenly asked and I was brought back from my daydream. He looked a bit amused by my absence, the corner of his bout was slightly tilted upwards and his blue eyes were twinkling - but in an understanding way, he himself had seem to let his thoughts drift a couple of times since we got here.

"It is truly more beautiful than I ever imagined it to be." I replied and looked about us, unable to hold back my vague smile.

As he was about to open his mouth once more, an elven male entered the glade. He wore white robes with a silver belt that was knot about his waist which caused the long ends to fall down to his feet. His hair was golden, but glew slightly coppery in the light, and his eyes were blue as a cloud-free sky. He clasped his hands in front of him and bowed solemnly.

"I hope the breakfast has been to your delight." he said when he straightened himself and looked upon the three of us.

"It has pleased us well, le hannon."(thank you) Legolas said and slightly bowed his head, which the elf in front of us returned. He moved his gaze to me and watched me with strong eyes.

"The lady Galadriel wishes to see you, she has sent me to guide you to her." he continued. I nodded and stood, feeling as if I shouldn't have eaten as much as I had.

"I will see you later." I quickly said to Aragorn and Legolas, who replied 'Goodbye' in one mouth.

I followed the man out of the glade and onto one of the paths. We went in silence, which did not bother me at all, but I felt a bit unsure - was I supposed to say anything? I let it be and just escaped to my mind.

I followed him up a staircase that lead around one of the great trees. In the air, between the branched, the elves had built great bridges. Some of them were high up and almost touched the tree tops, and some were on lower levels. The man, who still hadn't introduced himself, continued our silent walk across one of the higher-levels pathwalks and took left.

I looked down and saw the green ground a great distance underneath us. I loved to being this high up, I could see everything about and it made me feel safe. Elves wearing light-shaded robes and dresses walked on the paths and bridges below us, and once again I experienced that the ones who saw me held up their hands in a greeting. As many couple of eyes, and more came to be, focused on me, I tried to walk in the middle of the path in an attempt to make me less visible.

I was completely up in my mind and was close to walk right into him as he stopped, but managed to focus my weight to my left side and avoided an awkward situation. He made a gesture to a staircase of wood that lead up and through the foliage above us.

"She is expecting you to join her on the terasse." he said with a kind voice but with a severe face, which confused me a bit but I did as he told me and carefully followed the stairs. The branches and bouches had been formed to create an archway, which caused the sun to shine right upon my face. It blinded me and I had to place one of my hands in front of my eyes and blink multiply times to reclaim it.

The terrace was huge, and the floor was made out of a white wood. From this spot, you could see the whole realm, all the way from the west to the east side.

And there she stood, in front of me with a short distance between us, with her back facing me as she admired the view of her kingdom. Her wavy, golden hair reached to below her waist, and her lace train moved slightly in the wind. I wondered if she had heard me coming, or if she was just taking her time on greeting me.

But then she turned smoothly and faced me with a great smile and kind eyes. The sun, which was now behind her, looked like golden aura about her figure. I was stunned by her beauty, I'd never seen her in daylight before. If I didn't know who she was, I'd have mistaken her for one of the Valar. As I thought that, her smile widened and her eyes twinkled.

I snapped out of the daydream and bowed solemnly.

"My lady, you wished to see me." I said respectfully. She made a gesture with her left hand towards a wooden bench on my left side.

"Sit, my child, and let us talk." she said in a melodic voice. I followed her bidding and sat down, watching her as she slowly approached me, seaming to flow rather than walking. For a minute, I thought she would sit down next to me, but instead she walked past me and forth to a stone pot where small, white flowers grew up and reached towards the sky.

"I hope you enjoy your new room?" she asked as she played with the flowers.

"Yes, I enjoy it very much." I replied. "And I understand you are the one who had it being made?" I continued, a bit unsure what next to do, and she replied me with a melodic chuckle, as a mix between a laugh and a giggle.

She gingerly pet the petals of a flower with her index finger and kissed the top and gently cut one off from it's place, which caused my heart to ache a bit - why would she end the live of such a beautiful flower? She turned around and approached me, sitting down next to me. Her mere existence caused my soul to feel as small as an ant compared to a great tree.

"We call it Thondloth, more known as Illumëndil in the common language." she said, watching the white flower in her palm with great respect and caution.

Illumëndil, I'd heard about it before. I had read about it in one of my books, it had a special power to-

"You can plant it wherever you like and it will grow new roots and spread many seeds wherever it grows." she continued, taking the words from me. She held out her hand, the one with the flower, towards me, and it took me a moment before I understood what she wanted me to do and I gently picked up the flower.

I held it up in the light and studied carefully. It's white petals shimmered like snow, and it's stem was in an ivy color. I held it in front of my nose and closed my eyes as I breathed in the pollen and the gorgeous scent of the flower, like fresh bed linen.

"It is yours now, and I allow you to plant it wherever you like." she continued with her soothing voice. I looked up at her heartwarming face, with my face filled with as much joy as her's.

"Thank you, my lady. I will take great care of it." I replied regardful and bowed my head. I noticed her hand reaching out towards my face, placing it below my chin but hesitating before touching my skin.

"May I?" she whispered with excitement. Her voice had depth, without being low as a man's voice, and affection as she spoke. It was wisdom itself, yet it seemed not to have been affected by the years, for it was clear and had a clever tone.

I gave her a blink with approvement, and she cupped her hand on my rosy cheek.

I startled at the touch and of the connection to her mind, which was so strong and focused, but I did not pull back. I felt how she searched through my memories, and I let her - as long as she stayed away from any personal ones. And as she searched in my, I allowed me to touch memories of her as well.

It was a very old and wise mind, filled with so many emotions; affection, passion, agony, sorrow. And as she skimmed through my memories from the past weeks, and especially when she found the ones from the horrible night just a few days ago, I could feel her emotional state change from amazement and brightness to repulsiveness.

She continued her journey through my mind and saw how Legolas had used the Athelas water to pour over my wounded back, how the wounds had become bruises before disappearing completely, and how I had dreamed that night.

I began to feel a bit incommodious, I frowned and flickered my gaze from my hands to the floor about us, to which she reacted by drawing back her hand from me. She a looked upon me with a face of dismay and her mouth formed a small 'o', before her eyes regained the brightness and her face turned into a blank, resigned expression and she brought herself back to normal.

"You have been through a lot, it seems." she said in a low voice and the corner of my mouth automatically twitched as I ironically thought to myself 'I guess I have'.

We sat in silence for a moment, letting the music of the wind fill the room where our voices should have taken place. I carefully looked at Galadriel from the corner of my eye, but she just looked out over the fields of golden leaves seeming to be deep in her thoughts, her hair as golden as the leaves raising as the breeze caught it. I quickly grew impatient by the uncomfortable silence and carefully asked with a quivering voice:

"My lady, do you want me to leave?"

She turned her head to me and gave me a weary smile.

"No, not quite yet." she replied with a calm and down-to-earth voice. "I believe I should inform you concerning your coming lessons, before you can return to your friends." she continued and seemed to brighten herself up a little. I nodded understanding and waited for her to continue.

"You will begin in my care, learning the tongue of Sindarin, before I will pass you on to Celeborn, who will teach you to write using the elvish alphabet." she explained. Well, it sound quite good. And I would hopefully learn the elvish much more faster than I had learned the common tongue, now when I knew how to communicate?

"We will begin first in three days, so you have a chance to explore our kingdom." she said and made a gesture with her hand to the forest about us. "And you are welcome to go wherever you like, as long as you don't miss you lessons neither move outside of the realm." she continued with a more stern voice, but with kindness twinkling in her eyes.

"I promise." I assured and slightly bowed my head, to which she laughed, and the sound of silvery bells smoothly poured over her lips as water pour over rocks.

"But now, before any further ado, I believe we should make sure to give you some new clothes." she continued with a smile on her lips, which I modestly returned.

**xxx**

**Hi guys, I hope you liked it :)**

**I just want to say that you are more than welcome to come with suggestions or requests for the coming chapters. So if there's anything you'd like to see or if it's something you miss then just tell me, and I'll do my best with it :)**

**Goodnight! **


	21. A well-needed talk

**Hi again folks,**

**It's really late, or early, depends on how you see it...(4a-m), so I'm not gonna say anything at all but...**

**...ENJOY**

**KiyaJinnSkywalkerKenobi: I didn't think of him as Haldir, but I guess it isn't imposible that it ****_could_**** be him xD But it probably wasn't, he's probably buisy doing some Marchwarden-work :3  
Yay, I like that you love the flower! :D It will come back a bit later in the story :3**

**Muirgen79: Thank you :) And I believe your question will be answered in this chapter :3**

**xxx**

I twirled around as I tried to find mistakes on the light dress, which felt so smooth on my scuffed up skin, but my gaze found none. It was actually perfect, both to my joy and discomfiture. To my joy because it was one of the most comfortable things I had ever worn, and I did not feel an urge to change back to my old, dirty clothes, but to my disappointment because I had to admit to myself that I had been wrong all the time - dresses were actually comfortable.

The dress was white, it reached down and ended right above my feet, making it easy to move in it. The neckline was round and dressed with beadings, showing off my collarbones, without being daring. A thin, white and braided belt had been knot around my waist, which caused it to look more figure-fitting when I spun around and the bottom lifted from the ground. The sleeves were long and see through, when I reached out my arms they looked like butterfly wings, but they didn't cover my hands which was a relief.

I turned to Lagorel, the tailor maiden who lady Galadriel had sent me to, that had given my the dress. She had a satisfied look upon her face, seeing that I enjoyed what she had created. Though, her hand cupped her chin and her index finger placed on her lips as her smaragd eyed studied me thoroughly, as if she was wondering if she could do anything more to improve it. But after a moment, she smiled to herself as she told herself that no improvements could make it more beautiful than it already was, on the girl in front of her.

"I like it a lot." I said with a slightly blush upon my cheeks, answering her question "_What do you think?"_ which she had asked just a minute ago. Lagorel slowly and gracefully walked around me as she looked upon me.

"I agree, it suits you perfectly." she said casually and tilted her head, like a squirrel would do. I was about to tilt my head as well, but stopped me just as I was about to. The maiden turned and approached one of her workbenches, covered in many different fabrics and laces. "Now, now. Away with you, my work has to continue." she continued which put me off for a second.

"I shall." I said and bowed respectfully. "Thank you for the dress, I will be very careful with it." I continued and went for the exit.

"You're more than welcome, Gilrin little." Lagorel called over her shoulder as I walked out the door. She had called me that as well! What did it mean? I stopped and turned around, opening my mouth to ask her, but she was most concentrated on the work in front of her so I shut my lips and continued my walk.

I headed down the stairs from her workshop and stopped as I reached the path on the ground. I didn't want to go back to Aragorn and Legolas, as The Lady had suggested. At least not right now. Instead, I walked in the opposite direction, away from the center of Caras Galadhon and towards the outer forest. After all, Galadriel had said that I was free to move wherever I wanted to.

I followed the hard path away from the city, and the music of Galadhon faded the further away I got. Even if the music was enchanting and beautiful in every single way, it felt good to hear only the silent forest and the tweeting birds. It felt more like normal, more as it should be. More like home…

The trees that grew along the path grew smaller and less great as the ones in the city. The trunks were not as wide and the branches grew lower. But alas was the bark as silvery and the leaves as golden. A small hill, a short distance from where I was walking, caught my attention and I left the path.

The hill was a perfect one; perfectly round and covered with green, soft grass. I leaned against one of the trees that grew and wrapped my arms around it. It was about lunch time and I should probably be heading back to join Aragorn and Legolas for lunch, but I was still satisfied from the breakfast and didn't feel a need to eat again on a very long time.

I breathed in the air, and all the scents of the forest that came with it, as I looked out over the kingdom. I told myself I would thrive here, that I would feel like home in this beautiful forest. But honestly, I wasn't quite sure if I would. What if in the coming months, I would forget who I was? What if I would forget the greatness of my home and no longer want to come back to it? No! I could not think like that, I _would_ not tell myself that. My home was behind, but I _will_ return. Someday…

But before I can return, I have to stay here, and then in Mirkwood.

I suddenly came to think of the journey to Mirkwood, who would bring me there? I had a weak memory of Elrond telling me Legolas would, but would Aragorn join us? Or would tomorrow be the last day I saw them? The thought made me quite sad, even if I didn't have a strong bond with them, due to the lack of time, I trusted them to do all in their power to keep me from being harmed.

This journey had most definitely brought me closer to them; the few talks I'd had with Aragorn, the time Legolas had taken me in his arms to keep me away from the coldness and when he told me the story of the sun and the moon. I'd seen both of their minds and they'd had a piece of mine. I didn't want them to leave so soon, but neither did I dare to ask them to stay - what would they think of me other than being mere childish, and selfish? But the reason I wanted them to stay was… That I was terrified of being left alone.

But what if when they left would be the last time I saw them? It would mean that I will not meet someone I know for at least eight months. A lump in my stomach began to grow. "_I might as well be all on my own now. I have to be strong, I have to be brave, for if I don't make it through…"_ I thought but shook away the thoughts. Instead, I reminded myself of home.

About the brooks and rivers, the trees and the glades, the animals - every single bird and field mouse. And of Arahael… ARAHAEL. Oh what was wrong with me?! He was right here, with me. I would never be alone as I had him close to me.

I grinned as I turned around and ran in the direction of the stables.

xxx

"Hello there." I whispered from where I stood outside the box and he looked up at me. His eyes looked accusing upon me. "I'm sorry I haven't visited you." I explained with sorrow in my voice. He raised his ears and placed his nose on my cheek, and I pulled him into a hug where I let all my emotions flow freely.

How glad I was to have him here, my fright of being alone and of not returning home. My disappointment of the two men leaving so soon. Every thought, every emotion I let pass to him. And in return, he comforted me with memories and he filled me with a feeling of being alright. The heat and comfort from him caused me to look upon with even more respect.

We stood like that for a long time, maybe for hours, without being interrupted by the stable workers. I learned the pattern of their movements, how they place their steps and in which tempo the individual elves preferred. I could feel their eyes burn into my back once in a while, but I shrugged them off and focused on my friend. We got as much as lost in each others minds.

I did not look up until a new pair of feet joined us in the stable. They were faster, yet lighter than the workers. I looked up and saw Legolas look about in the stable until his gaze fell on me and Araheal. His shoulders lowered a bit, relaxed, and he approached us with a respectful look at my horse.

"I've been searching for you." he said and turned his face to look at me. I slightly opened my mouth and blushed ashamed. Had they been looking for me? "One of The Lady's maidens informed us that you were at the tailor's, and join us for lunch when you were finished?" he said questioningly with a frown. I felt a bit ashamed, but in theory I had nothing to be ashamed of.

"She told me I could go wherever I wanted to." I replied quietly and stroke Arahael's forehead. Legolas's face relaxed and his lips formed a slight smile as he looked down at me.

"Of course you can." he said and leaned at the box door. "We were just worried about you."

I looked up at him with an expression of questions and hope - they had been worried about me? He frowned at my reaction and tilted his head.

"What's wrong?" he asked kindly and at that point I couldn't bare it no longer. I looked away as tears grew in my eyes. I closed them, determined to not let them escape, but all that happened was that the movement caused the water to slowly roll down my cheeks.

'_What was wrong?' _he had wondered. Well, everything. I was so anxious, so worried about the future. It somehow felt as if this journey would change the whole of my life, and as if I wouldn't come home. I didn't want him to know how I felt, to think that I was so weak as I was. It was embarrassing.

He took my chin in his hand and turned myself so I was forced to look at him for, and through the touch he felt my emotions. After a split moment of looking into his blue, worried eyes I quickly struck his hand away and took a step back.

"Don't touch me." I whispered in a sob as I passed him on my way towards the exit of the stable. I hurried my steps and wiped my eyes as I walked, I had noticed that a few of the stable workers had stopped in the middle of their doing and was looking at me.

I ran through the exit and hurried along one of the paths, frustrated searching for somewhere where I could be all by myself. I left the path and ran into the wooden part, where the trees were thinner and grew closer. I was still running, avoiding the trees, but a firm grip of my arm forced me to stop. I turned my head and saw Legolas looking at me with worried and stout eyes. This was so embarrassing; to let him see my red, watery eyes and my trembling lower lip, that he had _needed_ to follow me and 'comfort me like a little child'. I didn't want this, why couldn't he just have left it alone?

"Edengwen." he said in a low and controlled voice, sweet as sugar, placing both of his hands on my shoulders. "If you don't tell me what's wrong, then I can't help you." he continued, trying to catch my flickery gaze. But I just shook my head.

"I don't want help." I sobbed. I took a deep breath to calm myself down, but the tears just kept coming, one after another. "Just, let me go." I continued and tried to shake his hands off of me, but they were solid and immovable.

"Edengwen, please?" he tried, but I still didn't say anything but kept on crying. He embraced me and comfortingly patted my back. It actually felt very nice to be wrapped into someone's pair of arms, and I soon leaned my head against his shoulder and hugged him back, without letting our skin touch. I just stood there, letting the tears pour until there was no more left. My eyes were red and dry, my cheeks were salty and I breathed heavily as I calmed myself down.

"Now," Legolas began again. "Tell me what's wrong."

xxx

The grass underneath us was wet from the morning's dew, but we didn't care. I sat to Legolas's right side and fiddled with a grass straw.

"Why are you sad?" he asked me. I took a deep breath and wondered where I should begin. My thoughts from this morning was tangled like a spiderweb.

"It's just that," I began. "I will be gone for such a long time, and I'm afraid I won't be the same person any longer." I continued and looked down at my hands, still playing with the straw of grass. I could feel his eyes on me, but I was too abashed to meet them. It's not that I thought he would make fun of me, or tell everyone 'how childish I was'. But I was just very discomforted with opening myself to people.

"Of course you will be a new person when you return, but that's not a bad thing." he said sweet but serious. "You will know yourself better, you will be able to see the world from a different perspective." he continued. I felt a bit unsure, but what if I wouldn't like my new me?  
"_Oh stop it!"_ I urged myself, I was acting so genuine!

"Are you sure?" I asked him quietly. He placed one hand on my back and I looked up and into his eyes.

"I promise." he vowed. His eyes were so pure and clear, they had a depth of wisdom and a twinkle of joy in them.

"Okay. Thanks." I nodded and stood up, he stood as well and had a very surprised look on his face. He looked as if he thought "_Well, that went quickly."_. He opened his mouth and blinked a few times, as if he couldn't find the words he was searching for.

"With all respect, how come you got upset by what I said? I only said that we were worried about you?" he asked confused. My face was filled with a look of being guilty, I really looked as if I hid something, which was exactly what I did. I had knowingly avoided mentioning that I was anxious by being left here 'all by myself'. He saw that I was hiding something from him and tilted his head sternly as he looked at me with firm eyes.

"Edengwen..?" he demanded.

"It's nothing." I shrugged and began to walk back to from where we had come from.

"Come back and sit down." he commanded and I sighed and turned around.

"Fine." I said in a resigned sigh and threw up my arms as I turned and sat down next to him again, now on his left side. He watched me carefully as I bit my lips and wondered how I should put the words to make them sound not so… Forlorn.

"I… In Rivendell, I often felt alone and homesick. My whole body would just tingle, as if my body was covered in ants. And, some days I just couldn't endure it, the feeling of being lost and kept away from the things I knew." I told him slowly and bit my lower lip as I remembered. Legolas nodded, as to show that he was with me in the story. I took a deep breath before I continued.

"And at the time, I was surrounded by people I'm very fond of, people I rely on." I felt how I began to open up more, it felt surprisingly good and relieving to do so, as if a stone of a burden lifted from my chest. "And- I just-" I tried to continue, but I didn't know how to express myself. Legolas saw my dull eyes, lacking their usual brightness in form of a twinkle.

"You can tell me." he tried comforting, looking at me with kindness and compassion. I gave him a vague smile before I took courage and continued.

"Now, tomorrow, you and Aragorn are leaving. You two are the only ones I know here, and when you're gone… I will be all by myself. For four whole months. And… Maybe you won't be taking me to Mirkwood, and then I will be on my own for as long time." I explained and he looked dearly at me as he understood. "And concerning what you said, I… I just…" I stammered before I took a deep breath. "I guess I was moved and I realize how much I'll miss you." I confessed. My cheeks were red and hot, I avoided meeting Legolas's gaze by looking down at my hands in my lap. I felt a hand striking me carefully on my back. I looked up at him and saw a huge smile on his lips. I frowned and gave him a questioning look.

"Oh, dear little one, i admire your honesty and innocence." he said joyous and I blushed even more. "I promise you, these months you are without us will go fast, and at the first day of spring, I and my kin will come to safely transport you to Mirkwood. You do not have to worry yourself of being alone there - I will teach you archery myself." he said proudly. I smiled at him, already feeling better. I looked down again and smiled to myself.

"I'm not that little." I whispered and slightly bumped into his side, as I used to do with Lindir. But it felt comforting knowing that he would teach me how to fight - I had seen him fire arrows, and they did not miss its target. I was met by a roaring laugh that soon turned into a chuckle. I gave him a questioning look.

"At the moment, I believe you are the youngest one of our kin." he chortled. I looked shocked at him. I did most certainly not know that. Was this the truth?

"Are you serious?" I asked him with wide eyes. He raised one of his eyebrows and bowed his head in a nod.

"I am telling you nothing but the truth." he swore. I frowned in surprise and sat quiet. I hadn't considered it until now, being the only elfling - Lindir had told me that elves are not considered as adults until their a hundred years old, even if our bodies are fully grown at the age of fifty. He had told me about the great parties the families threw for their children at the both ages, but the hundred years celebration was quite a bigger one. Music, cake, dance, fireworks. People coming longways to join the festivities, even if they didn't knew the one they were celebrating.

A question suddenly appeared in my mind.

"Legolas, how old are you?" I asked carefully, not knowing if he would feel offended by the question. But all he did was smile and reply;

"I am one thousand nine hundred and twenty seven years old." he said and my eyes widened even more as I let out a quiet exclaim. Elves are mortal, yes I know, but he was closer to two thousand years! And here I was with my, well, I didn't know exactly.

"How old am I?" I asked. It was quite funny, I had never really cared to know, Elrond had once mentioned that he couldn't place me on an exact number. Legolas raised one of his eyebrows again, I'd taken notice that he did so quite often.

"We do not know for sure, but lord Elrond thought you was not older than fifty, due to your not yet fully grown body. Maybe forty five, or a couple of years older, or younger. It's very hard to determine." he replied and I nodded understanding. It was a bit sad actually, that I would never know my own age. But I guess there's nothing to do about it.

xxx

We had conversed for a while longer, until the sky broke into the lovely colors of orange and pink, before we moved back to where the dinner was served. We joined Aragorn, who asked where we had been to which Legolas replied; "Lost in the world of words." which caused me to crack a smile. He himself had spent the rest of his day at Galadriel's side. He had said something about it to Legolas, but he said it in the elvish tongue so I didn't catch what it was. But soon that trick would not be working, for when I learned the elvish tongue I promised myself that I wouldn't let them get away with whispering secrets to each other's ears.

The dinner was delightful, it pleased me well since I had skipped lunch. We joked about with each other all the time and I listened to their stories, both funny and exciting ones, with a vivid interest. The afternoon with Legolas had really calmed me down, I felt happy, and my anxiousness had gone away for the moment. Our laughs echoed through the evening, blending with the never ending music. As we had finished, Aragorn and Legolas went off to prepare their leaving. I drew myself along the paths that lead to my tree-room. I didn't want to sleep though, it was a beautiful evening and I wanted to enjoy it. Maybe I could watch it from my balcony? Yeah, why not?

But I never made it to my tree.

The air was fresh and cold upon my skin. I breathed in the twilight with delight. The wind smelled of trees and of flowers. My hand reached automaticly up to my ear to see if the flower I'd gotten from The lady was still there - it was.

I hummed on a song I'd heard, from where I didn't know. It was weird, the song had appeared in my mind a couple of days ago, and I'd thought about it ever since. I could not place when I had heard it. And the weirdest thing was, I did only remember the melody. The words were just lost.

"You have a beautiful voice." a humble voice said next to me which caused me to give a hefty startle. I looked up and saw The lady herself stand as well as in front of me. Her eyes were bright, so was her smile, and once again there seemed to be a light surrounding her. "Tell me, what song is it?" she asked.

"I-I don't know." I replied and she raised her left eyebrow as her smile grew wider. I realised how stupid that answer sounded and I quickly looked for words to put it in another way. "I mean, I only know the melody. The song itself is a mystery to me." I explained, blushing at my stupidity. There was a short silence, and I was a bit unsure what to do next.

"Do you have any plans for the evening?" she asked in her deep and sweet-as-honey voice.

"No, not really." I replied shyly. "I should probably try to sort out my hair, it has begun to tangle itself…" I continued awkwardly. The lady's smile grew so I could see her perfectly white teeth.

"Well, we can't have it that way, can we?" she said playfully. "Allow me to help you." she asked. I nodded, of course, and she continued with a; "Follow me." So, I did what she told me and followed her. She lead me up some stairs and we followed one of the paths in the air until we came to a balcony. It was not very large, but not small either. A chair stood close to the railing and a table stood by it's side, on which it laid a brush with soft hairs.

"Sit, my child, and let me take care of you." she said and placed a hand on my back to lightly push me forwards. I approached the chair and I had barely sat myself down as she began to brush my hair. Her hands worked carefully to avoid hurting me. It was very soothing and I had to focus to keep me from drooling. The lady laughed quietly at my relaxation.

"It's a privilege to have your hair brushed." she said. "I sit here every morning as my maidens brush mine." she continued, not expecting me to answer, which I of course didn't. I leaned backwards a little more and let my back rest as I looked up at the stars that had already begun to fill the sky. Suddenly, The lady began to sing.

"_An Elven-maid there was of old,_

_A shining star by day:_

_Her mantle white was hemmed with gold,_

_Her shoes of silver-grey." _she sang, without drawing the brush through my hair.

"_A star was bound upon her brows,_

_A light was on her hair_

_As sun upon the golden boughs_

_In Lórien the fair._

_Her hair was long, her limbs were white,_

_And fair she was and free;_

_And in the wind she went as light_

_As leaf of linden-tree." _she continued. I noticed that her voice was even more beautiful as she sang. I made a small yawn and exhaled a deep breath. I felt sleepy, very sleepy actually, and I could feel myself falling deeper into my sleeping state.

"_Beside the falls of Nimrodel,_

_By water clear and cool,_

_Her voice as falling silver fell_

_Into the shining pool._

_Where now she wanders none can tell,_

_In sunlight or in shade;_

_For lost of yore was Nimrodel_

_And in the mountains strayed._

_The elven-ship in haven grey_

_Beneath the mountain-lee_

_Awaited her for many a day_

_Beside the roaring sea." _The lady continued, and it was the last thing I heard before I fell asleep completely, eyes half open and looking at the star filled sky. Everything felt so perfect, right there right now. All my troubles and worries were all forgotten.

"Goodnight, little Gilrin of the great forest." The lady's lips whispered before they were placed on my forehead in a kiss.

**xxx**

**I wasn't quite sure about Legolas's age, so I looked it up and I hope I was right :) It stood that he was 'about 1900 years old' so I gave myself the freedom to decide that he, in this story, is 1927 yrs old. Hope that's fine with you :)**

**And Galadriel's song is taken from the book (i think Legolas sings it when they arrive to Lorien?).**


	22. Farewells

**Hello everyone,**

**I'm sorry for the late update, my family went to our summer-house during the break so I haven't had internet in over a week. But now I'm here again. I expect the next chapter to be published sometime next week.**

**Some news for you; During the break I came up with an idea on a new fanfic, which I will work on when I can spare some time, which will be published sometime in the future. I believe it will be a good one :)**

**KiyaJinnSkywalkerKenobi: Haha, short? It's the longest one this far :P I'm glad you like it.**

**I know you will wait, and I can say that I believe it will be worth waiting for *sneaky-sneaky***

**Muirgen79: Yup, eventually :3**

**Sadiana: Thank you sweetie! :***

**DeLacus: Thank you, it joys me that you like it :D I've worked with my writing so I'm glad that it's being noticed and I accept the cake xD Here you go! :3**

**Claimer/Disclaimer: I do not own any gharacter, song, story but those I claim is mine (and I will inform when a song/poem is mine from now and on). What I do claim is the flower, Ilúmëne, which I've come up with all on my own and, of course, my main character Edengwen.**

**Enjoy your reading!**

**xxx**

The light woke me, once it had risen over the trees, this morning as well. I stretched my arms above my head and sat up, rubbing the night of my eyes. A yawn escaped my mouth and I threw my feet out of the bed and frowned. Surprisingly, I was still wearing the dress from yesterday. How had I gotten here anyway?

I tried to recall yesterday evening, and relaxed as the memory of the beautiful song played in my head. With a smile on my lips, I stood and reached up my arms towards the ceiling, stretching out my spine. The morning was fresh - the sun warmed my pale skin and a pure breeze flew through the room and tickled my nose, which caused me to sneeze.

I drew back the tresses of golden hair, that had fallen into my face, back behind my pointy ears. I went forth to the great mirror on the wall and reached up my hands to let them draw through my blonde hair. I observed it closely in my hands; the tresses were of light gold, with strings of an even lighter color, almost white. They reflected the light from the sun shines in the form of pure, silver sparkles. I turned my back towards the mirror and turned my head to look at it.

It ran along my spine in waves, not small waves, neither large ones, but one of medium size that began at the very top of my head. When they had cut it in Rivendell, which I had agreed on first after weeks of convincing, it had reached to precisely below my breasts. Now it almost reached my waist.

My gaze caught a shiny metal thing on the dark wooden desk, that had been lacquered which caused it to gleam. It was the flower, the Illumëndil, that had been placed on the table in a vase. It turned out that the vase wasn't made out of metal at all, but mere glass that had a metallic gleam in it. The flower looked so full of life, as if it had just been picked. I reached for my brown bag on the floor and picked up the large book. I opened it, about halfway in, and turned the pages until I saw a picture of the flower that was in front of me. My index finger followed the old text as my swift eyes red.

"_Illumëndil, Sindarin name; Thondloth [Root Flower], and Gloseirien  
The flower belongs to the family; Root plants, kingdom; Anemone Eirien._

_The Illumëndil was first found in the Golden forest, Lothlórien, TA2031 by its founder Hadion Illumathar. They thrive in sunny glades, often in colonies._

_The flower was a gift to Vala Yavanna, from the Fëanturi brothers; Valar Mandos and Lorien. Thus it will not die when it is cut from its stem nor it will live, but fall into sleep and will not give any seeds - see 'The state of Irmo', page 365._

_It is blessed with the light of Vala Varda, therefor it will not only reflect, but gains the light of the sun and the stars inside its petals. As long as it has sunlight, it can live up to about a century."_

I closed the book and laid it on the desk - what else that stood on the page wasn't of my interest, but more of its biology.

"_So, I just have to keep it in sight of the light - that shouldn't be too hard."_ I thought and pet the petals. If I would just take care of them, then I could plant it in my forest, when I came home.

I suddenly realized - this was the morning of Aragorn and Legolas leaving!

I ran out of my room and hurried down the stairs, grasping the front of the dress and holding it up so I wouldn't stumble on it. What time was it? Had they already left? What if they would have? "_No, stop it!"_ I urged myself. Of course they hadn't left. They wouldn't have - not without saying goodbye.

I got to the bottom of the stairs and ran in the direction of the lane that would lead me to the path. The grass felt soft underneath my feet, the cold dew drops tickled! But just as I rounded the tree, a body stood in my way and I ran right into it.

"Ugh!" was the sound I made as I ran into the man, as if I had run into a wall. This must be it, I must have beaten the records for 'running into people' by now. Definitely. I looked up at the man, who hadn't moved an inch, and he looked down at me with a slight annoyance in his eyes. He let the irritation pass away, or he just hid it, as he bowed.

"My lady, my name is Faervel and I shall lead to to your friends." he said with a harsh voice. The elven male was dressed in white and light blue robes, the same blue color as of his eyes. His hair ended below his shoulders and had two braids on each side of the head. My mind was a mess by the sudden appearance, and the fact that I was stressed about being late did not improve my thoughts at all.

"Farewell?" I asked, very confused concerning his name. If he had had any ounce of patience left, he hadn't anymore. His mouth became a hard line and his eyes narrowed my my rudeness.

"Faervel." he said again, or more like hissed, short and callous. I just nodded and followed him as he turned and moved towards the path. As he turned his back to me, I rolled my eyes. He could at least _try_ to be a bit emphatic. And wasn't it ironic that Faervel took me to say 'Farewell'? I laughed in my mind at my own joke.

Our walk continued in silence, but I noticed that he threw dark daggers with his gaze at me every time I looked about us or slowed down to look at something. All I did was to glare back at him when he didn't see, but I thought he reckoned it. For the love of the Valar - I hoped this would be the one and only time he would take me somewhere.

We moved down the path that lead along the silvery trees. The clear voices sang, of course, among the branches and as always, it felt soothing but vivid at the same time. Like a lullaby, but with strength in it.

We were close to the stables now, as we entered a glade I could see the two trees that together formed an archway of silver. In the middle of the glade, Aragorn and Legolas stood with their horses, looking through the packing to make sure that they hadn't forgotten anything.

Faervel gave a cough and the two men looked up to find the two of us look at them. They looked happy to see me. The man that had showed me the way turned and looked down at me with indifferent eyes.

"Then I shall leave you." he said, with a provoking smile on his lips.

"Thank you for bringing me." I said so nicely as I was capable of being at the moment. As he turned and left, I narrowed my eyes at his back. I turned back my head and saw Legolas giving me a raised eyebrow, wondering what that was about. I shrugged casually and approached them.

"Ah, we began to think you wouldn't come." Aragorn said with his wry smile that caused dimples to frame the left corner of his mouth. "You got enough of your beauty sleep?"

My eyes twinkled at his sarcasm, and I stroke the brown horse's neck.

"How I am going to miss your comments." I replied cleverly. But honestly, I would miss them. A lot. I grew into a more serious tone and looked at the two men before hiding my gaze from the two of them. "Thank you." I said in a low voice. "For bringing me here." I continued.

Aragorn and Legolas shared a look, a look of joy, before Aragorn placed a hand on my shoulder, causing me to look up at him. He looked into my eyes with his big, light blue eyes filled with kindness, empathy and wisdom. They were bright and his soul gleamed in them, just as it should be. His hair had been washed and combed, and fell in soft waves down his head, instead of hanging in dirty stripes of mud as it had the past week.

"You have no need to thank us, it was a mere pleasure to lead you, and to get to know you better." he said with honesty and a wink. I smiled vaguely at what he had said. I caught myself adding him as one of the people I regarded as my friends.

"It truly was." Legolas said and I turned to him, still with a slight smile on my lips - for the sake of courtesy. It really bothered me when people said such things, it just didn't feel optional that I would trust or create a bond with someone. After a moment of silence, I opened my mouth again.

"How ironic isn't it that Faervel," I made a not towards the place where the elf had stood next to me. "Took me to say farewell?" I said to break the ice again. Aragorn burst out into that chuckle-laugh of his while Legolas's face turned into an amused expression - raised eyebrows, surprised eyes and a wry grin upon his mouth.

"I hope you haven't gotten yourself into too much trouble?" he asked, amused and my eyebrow twitched by his comment.

"Nothing I can't handle." my reply was and I turned back to pet the horse. It was time for them to leave now, I saw it in their eyes. My hand fell to my side and I took two steps back. The both men looked at me with understanding.

"I hope we'll see each other again. I'll keep my eyes open as I travel in the woods about Rivendell." Aragorn said. His wry clever-smile had turned into a wry sad-to-part-but-its-not-the-end-of-the-world-smile. I gave a nod in agreement.

"And I will see you in a couple of months, I hope." Legolas continued and his gaze met mine.

"We will." I replied assuring. Aragorn fixed the last few settings before mounting his horse. As he didn't see, Legolas placed his index- and middle finger on the back of my hand.

_You have nothing to fear, you will be alright._

he thought and let go of me. I gave him a tender smile as a 'thanks', before he mounted his horse and I backed away. Their eyes fixed on something, or rather someone, behind me, and they lifted their hands up to their hearts and they bowed solemnly with their heads.

I turned around to see The lord and his lady, walking hand in hand, approach us. They looked, as always, solemn and the only jewelry they needed to have were their partner. Their golden and silver hair gleamed in the light of the morning, like stardust that caused their heads to look as if they wore glorias. They were dressed in white, with silver details. Upon Galadriel's finger her powerful ring rested.

Her husband let held his gaze to mine. It was firm and unbreakable, yet soft and tender. It sent me a mixed message; he was both intimidating and obedient, calm as a brook yet furious as a waterfall. His eyes were of pure ice, clear and shifting as the light touched them. His hair flowed down from his head like a waterfall of silver. The smooth and swiftness in his step caused everyone about him to bow their heads in awe.

I followed the men's example, and bowed in courtesy. The royals' faces remained perfectly unmoved, but their eyes regarded me with greeting. They stopped behind me and looked at the two men in front of us.

"Mae l'ovannen, Legolas Thranduilion, Aragorn de Dúnedain."* lord Celeborn began to my left. "She's in safe hands here, we will take good care of her." he continued and a shiver fled down my spine.

"May your journey be safe from evil. Novaer, galu."** the lady continued from where she stood on my right side. The two men replied by bowing their heads, before they turned their horses around and rode them through the archway of silver.

I automatically raised my hand to wave them goodbye, even if I knew they didn't see me. My mouth opened slightly, as if to say 'goodbye', but because of the soft lump in my throat, I kept the words unsaid. A sudden weight appeared on my right shoulder. As I looked up, to see Galadriel's hand rest on my shoulder, the same weight, but stronger, appeared on my left shoulder. I glanced and noticed that Celeborn had done the same as his wife had.

I felt a bit uncomfortable with the situation, but the presence felt good at the same time. Now, this was it. There was no turning back now. "_I __**will**_ _get through these coming months, and I __**will **__get home." _I told myself, taking a long, soothing breath. The song of the trees echoed in my ears as I saw the figures of my friends move further away.

xxx

I followed the white, fluffy foam, which the stream brought with it down the swift brook, with my gaze. It reminded me of the great clouds in the sky, those which I'd seen in the west. Maybe it was clouds, clouds that had fallen from the sky and landed on the ground, and now they tried to find their way back home?

Or maybe the foam was made of pure ice crystals from the Misty mountains, and now it searched its way down brooks and rivers, until it finally reached the ocean, and the great deeps of Ulmo. Maybe, this exact foam would flee across the ocean until it washed up on the white shores of Valinor, where the Valar would look down upon it.

Or could it might be the tears from crying stars? I thought myself see the pure light of Varda beam from the light fluff.

My drowsiness caused me to lose myself in my thoughts. I shook my head and came back to reality. I caught some elves looking at me, as they walked on by on the path nearby. The ones that saw me, smiled friendly and some of them raised their hands in greeting. They looked as if they wanted to join me, where I sat, but they didn't, even if their faces were covered by a longing look.

I stood and stretched my stiff muscles. The silence of the nature surrounded me as my feet led me through the woods. I'd told one of the maidens that I intended to explore the forest. I'd been absent for about an hour now, but I'd spent it here,right next to the brook. Just to ease my thoughts before continuing.

Now I was wandering through the south wing, the part just south to Caras Galadhrim. The trees grew straight and tall, except for the colors, it reminded me a lot of home. The grass beneath my feet was soft and still wet with dew drops of the morning. The birds' twitter, along with the chatter from the squirrels, created a peaceful atmosphere. The air smelled of wet moss and of flowers.

A smaller tree caught my sight. An idea blushed through my mind. I took speed and used one of the lower branches as a springboard to jump up and reach one on a taller tree, next to it. I pulled myself up so I sat on the branch in a cat-like position, before I stood and began to walk along it. As it ended, I jumped to another branch right next to me, and as it ended - I jumped over to a new one.

I kept on going like that for a while before I climbed up a tree and sat in the crown, watching the great realm that surrounded me. The day was filled with the birds' song and the voice of the wind. My hair was ruffled by the wind and a joyous laugh escaped my throat.

The sound of silvery voices caught my attention. They came from somewhere nearby, somewhere south from me. Curious, I followed the sound, determined to find its source. The laughs became louder as I came closer, and through the foliage I could now see a couple of moving figures in a talan below me. I narrowed my eyes and let my head move a little closer, just a little bit - I didn't want to get caught.

I saw a party of eleven elves. Everyone had long silvery hair, with braids and such, and they spoke in the language of Sindarin, so I did not understand what they were saying. They were all dressed in grey, almost light green, tunics with grey pants and cloaks that would cause them to blend in among the trees. On their backs, there hung quivers, filled with grey arrows, and a matching bow.

They seemed to have a lot of fun; they took turns in telling stories, and funny ones they must have been, for they would break into roaring laughs. Every single one of them.

All the sudden, a new elf arrived, and the joyous laughs ceased. The elves stood solemnly and greeted the elf as he went past them. His hair was of pure silver, it seemed, and his eyes were as an ocean, deep and blue. A smooth bow rested on his back along with a quiver filled with arrows.

"Haldir." the elves mumbled. I reckoned that he must be someone important.

The sound from a horn echoed among the trees. It was a pure and silvery sound, as if it came from trumpets of pure silver. All the elves startled, turned around and swiftly began to run on the branches towards the sound.

For a minute, I considered following them, but as I saw how quickly they were I realized that I wouldn't have a chance to keep up with them without being caught. So when everyone was focused on moving towards the sound, I got ready to stand up. But my foot accidentally slipped and broke a twig into two.

The elf that was left in the talan, the important one, heard the noise and narrowed his eyes in my direction. I held my breath as I shrank and made myself as tiny and invisible as I could. Fortunately for me, he ignored to see from where the sound had come from and instead hurried to catch up with the other elves.

I sighed in relief and hurried back towards the city, still a bit startled. I'd had enough of adventures in one day.

xxx

The sky was all red and golden, the evening breezes caused all the leaves to razzle in the trees. I moved about in the room with swift steps, almost as if dancing from one side to another, humming on a song I had heard sometime during my stay in Rivendell.

I felt a bit restless, all of the books on the shelves were written in Sindarin, so I couldn't read them and Legolas and Aragorn were gone so I couldn't visit them. I had thought about taking a walk, but then I might bump into someone and I didn't feel like talking. Instead, I sighed and sat down on the bed. Maybe I should just call it a day and go to sleep?

"Am I inopportune?" a voice called from the door. I looked up to see lord Celeborn standing in the entrance and quickly stood and bowed my head. He lowered his gaze and chuckled two times before approaching me. His strong gaze studied my face. My eyes were wide and my head hung slightly by inferiority. He was intimidating, but at the same time he was looking at me with such kindness, just as his wife.

"I only came to hear how you are faring, we haven't heard from you in all day." he explained and let his gaze move about in the room. It fell upon the book filled shelves and he smiled. "We heard you like stories, so my Galadriel laid her hands on every single book she could find. Only to please you." he said.

"That-that's very generous of you." I stammered, a bit overwhelmed by this new information. He smiled again before he took down a red book from a shelf and opened it.

"Oh, it's in elvish." I began, but stopped myself as he gave me an amused look.

"Then it's fortunate that I know the elvish tongue." he said and I blushed at my stupidity.

"Have you heard the tale of Tinúviel?" he asked and I shook my head. "Then let me tell it to you." he said and made a gesture to the bed, so I sat down and he did as well. The book rested in his lap as he skimmed through the pages.

"Ah, here it is." he said and began to tell me the story of Tinúviel, the daughter of Gwendeling the fairy and the elf Tinwelint. He told me how much she loved to dance, and of how the elf Beren came to watch her dance with joy and love. To show Tinwelint that he was worthy Tinúviel's hand in marriage, he swore to claim one of the silmarils from Melko's crown.

Celeborn's voice was deep and soothing, and the story was wonderful. I leaned my back on the great, fluffy pillows and my eyelids closed a bit, leaving only a small crack open. The drowsiness overwhelmed me and I fell into the state of dreaming.

xxx

Celeborn closed the book in his lap and looked at the sleeping girl. She looked to be in peace. He placed the book on the bed to correct her position; place her head on the pillows and cover her with the soft cover. As he touched her skin, he saw everything she had done this day. Everything from the meeting with Faervel, to taking farewell to Aragorn and Legolas, to watching the elves in the talan.

He pulled back his hand and looked up as he heard someone enter the room. He gave his wife a loving smile as she stopped by his side and placed her hands on his shoulder. She smiled back, but raised her eyebrows in an accusing look.

~"I had planned to spend the evening with her, but it seems like you got here first."~ she said with her silvery voice. He smiled and moved his gaze to the girl.

~"You had her in your care yesterday, my love."~ he replied as he watched the sleeping girl. Her hair shone in silver as the moonlight touched it, and her eyes reflected it in stars. He covered his wife's hands with his own.

~"She looks so very much like Celebrian…"~ he said with sorrow in his voice as he thought of his daughter who waited in the undying lands.

~"I told you so."~ she whispered in reply and kissed his temple. He stood and went to the bookshelf from which he had taken the book, and placed it among the others. Galadriel was by his side and watched him with her wise eyes.

~"I miss her."~ he said. She stroke his cheek and they leaned their heads against each other's.

_~I know, my love, I miss her too. But she is not lost forever.~_

She thought in her mind. He kissed her forehead and began to move towards the entrance.

~"I will meet you later."~ he said to her. ~"But first I have to speak with the elf Faervel."~ he continued and went into the night.


	23. The Marchwarden of Lórien

**Hello there!**

**This chapter has been nagging me since I published the previous one. I hate people who excuse themself, attempting to 'make it okay' for being late, but due to school and writer's block, this one took a bit more time to write than expected.  
I fear thet the comming chapters will take more time to write as well, this comming month I'll have 13 tests. Yup, I've counted them, and then I'm not counting all my prodjects or hand-ins. Sooo, yup. A bit stressful.**

**hisTHANK YOU for all the wonderful reviews and follow/faves. I smile every time I see the mail saying someone took their time to write a review. I never, NEVER, thought t many people would enjoy what I write. It means a lot to me, honestly, and it inspires me to continue writing instead of quiting. A round of applause for y'all!**

**Liza: (Chapter 1) I do not know if you mean that you've read up to chapter 10 and liked it, or stopped liking it after chapter 10, but anyhow I home that you will enjoy the upcoming chapters.  
I know my grammar's a bit off, I do my best and I try to grammar-check it before publishing. I won't get a beta for this story, since it's not much left, but I promise to do my best. I just try to have a good time writing this story without putting too much pressure on me.  
Thank you!**

**KiyaJinnSkywalkerKenobi: Thank you :) I'm glad you liked the chapter, and the flower hehe. I hope you like this one too. And don't you worry, I'm sure you can walk like Celeborn very well :'D**

**to1998: Thank you so much! Your review made me really, really happy! I think it's awesome that you like the story, you have no idea what it means to me to hear it. To me, this is just a silly story I made up in my head while waiting for Botfa, so it's very heartwarming to hear that people enjoy reading it. And it's good to see 'a new face' on this story. I hope you like this chapter! :)**

**Goldenfire88: Here you are then :P Superexcited that you like it, it means so much to hear that you like it. I hope you'll like the rest of it :)**

**Guest: Thank you :D Well' I came up with the story before I'd even heard of , so I haven't been inspired by other stories. I hope you'll like how it turns out :)**

**Enjoy your reading!**

**xxx**

A curious bird flew over and sat down in a tree close to the little elf. It watched her where she sat, leaning her back against the tree, reading a book that laid in her lap. He tilted his head and whistled carefully to get her attention, but she was too focused on the pages in front of her. She closed her eyes and tried to remember the words and phrases.

"Manen le? Im maer. Man i eneth lîn. Edengwen i eneth… nin?" I said and peeked with my eye to see if I got that last part right. "Nín." I corrected myself in a whisper. I sighed and tilted my head backwards as I looked up at the light blue sky where small, white clouds followed the wind. One of them looked like a bee.

A sigh escaped my lips and I rested my head against the trunk, closing my eyes that were tired from all the reading. The lady gave me the book a couple of weeks ago, and now I read it as often as I had time to spare. I had not learned anything too complicated yet, most politeness and questions, but she had informed me that we would soon get into deeper waters, so to speak.

The sun stood high on the sky. I closed the book and my stiff muscles protested as I stood. After all, this was my free day and I shouldn't be wasting it by sitting down, but by being out in the forest. My feet started to move in the direction of my room, so that I could leave the book.

I stepped out onto the cold path and hurried a bit, I still avoided as many people as possible.

Everyone always looked at me in a special way and I didn't like it. They didn't glare viciously or anything, but their eyes were almost too kind. It made me feel uncomfortable. Luckily, a very few of the elves I met stopped to talk. Most ones would just greet me by calling me the word.

It was always the word, _the_ word. Everyone spoke to me by using _it_, instead of my name. "_Gilrin."_ What did it mean? No one had explained it to me yet, but then of course, I hadn't asked anyone. Maybe I should ask the lady about it. Because after all, isn't it fair that I should know what they call me?

My feet moved swiftly, but alas so carefully. I had wrapped both my arms around the large book, as if I hugged it, and my gaze focused on the path ahead of me. The figure of a man approached me from further away down the path. My feet hesitated and I narrowed my eyes before continuing, now in a more calm and peaceful pace.

As fast as Faervel saw me, I noticed that his eyes narrowed as well.

"My lady." he said politely but firm and in a low voice as he passed me. As he was out of sight again, I shivered and shook of the feelings. We were still a bit frosty towards each other, during these past weeks we had actually avoided each other as much as possible.

What was strange was that the day after Aragorn's and Legolas's leave taking, he had come looking for me in my room.

"_I apologize for my way of behaving towards to, please forgive me for my actions."_

He had said. She might would have believed him if it wouldn't have been for the gleam of pure hate in his eyes by having to say the words. He clearly hadn't come up with the idea on his own. I wondered who had told him into doing it.

I finally reached the trail and followed it until I came to the flight of stairs, which I ran up to get to my room as fast as possible. I placed the book on the desk and sighed as I saw my reflection in the mirror. My hair was messy in the back from rubbing it against the trunk of the tree. I picked up the brush and let it untangle my tresses, before taking the golden clip and using it to pull back some of the hair from my face.

I made my way down the flight of stairs, my feet moved as swiftly as the river runs. The soft grass tickled my feet, as they always did, as I ran towards the path. I moved like a shadow, quick and unseen, as I ran with my mouth twisted in a sly smirk, knowing exactly where to go.

xxx

Silvery laughs were echoing through the forest. The men were joking about with each other, loosen up a bit since their captain wasn't there. Old stories were told as well as gossip. In fact, they were so busy talking that they didn't notice the girl in the tree who were following them with her eyes.

"Ar so pent; 'Gerich thû sui yrch'!" a man with long, white hair called and everyone laughed. I understood he said something about; "He said; 'you smell - orc".

I changed to a more comfortable position, resting my head by leaning it against one of the branches. I had spent some of my afternoons watching the guards as they were speaking and arguing. Not because I understood what they were saying or because they were amusing in any way, but more for the excitement in either to be caught or not. This far I had managed to stay unnoticed, even if the important one, the captain, once in a while cast a look about him. As if he felt her eyes on him.

Sometimes a horn would call and they would all be moving. I tried to follow them, but they were too quick to follow and I didn't want to get caught. Also, running in a dress and having to jump between branches, is neither the easiest nor the smoothest thing to be doing.

A sudden movement on the path beneath me caught my attention. I looked down and saw the tall, important one walking towards the talan with the other elves. He didn't take notice of me, but just to be sure, I moved so I was completely hidden by the tree - you can never be too careful.

As the elves noticed him coming their laughs ceased and they lowered their voices. The elf climbed up into the talan and went straight ahead to an elf with long, golden hair. He whispered something in the elf's ear and the elf nodded.

"Belegorn, Amardîr ar Ordes." the golden headed one said. Two men, one with white and one with silver hair, stepped forwards. A younger woman with golden hair in waves joined them. The four of them left the talan by smoothly jumping down to the ground. I couldn't help but to notice how the golden-haired male elf cast a warm gaze upon the lady before they began to run in a gathered troop.

However, the other elf, the important one, was still in the talan, giving out orders to the men and women in his charge. They split into two groups, one who followed the group of four and one who ran in the opposite direction. The important man hesitated and turned around, searching with his gaze among the tree.

"Ed-tolo, si!"* he called. Quickly, I pulled back my head behind the tree before his gaze had reached me. I sat quiet and with a pounding heart, hoping that he hadn't seen me. I had no idea what he had said, but he sound angry. "I know you're out there! Step forth and show yourself!" he continued, this time in the common tongue.

As I was just about to stand up and reveal myself from my hiding place, the sound from a horn echoed. A loud sigh escaped the man and he turned around and began to run along the branches, towards the sound. He was displeased, he had almost caught her. He had seen glimpses of her hair and her dress, times to time. But she always moved or hid before he could discern who she was. He had tried not to think about it but her presence annoyed him.

I sighed by relief and stood, brushing off some dirt off of my dress. I moved my feet towards the city again, knowing that I couldn't spy on the elves for a while - he had almost caught me this time.

I jumped down to the ground and kneeled by a brook. The water was cold and caused me to pull my foot back as I dipped my toe into it. A joyous grin covered my lips. I cupped my hands and drank the pure water with gratitude. It was cold and fresh, the best water that had ever touched my lips.

When satisfied, I laid down on my back, looking up at the clouds in the sky. They were few, but those who were there were white and fluffy. The sun warmed my face and I sighed satisfied. I had the whole afternoon, all to myself. Only I and the forest.

xxx

"Suilad, Gilrin. Glass vín le cened."** Celeborn welcomed and I bowed my head in reply. A couple of weeks ago, they had decided to only use the elvish tongue when speaking with me. Though I hadn't liked it at first, it had improved my skills in speaking a lots.

~"I apologize for being late."~ I said in a whisper as I sat down at the dinner table. I noticed that it was prepared for at least six others. ~"Who are we waiting for?"~ I asked and looked at both the lady and the lord.

~"We are awaiting a few special guests."~ the lady answered and smiled at me. I let my head hang as I looked down at my empty plate. A weary sigh passed my lips - I strongly disliked meeting new people, especially since I didn't speak the language fluent. The usual song among the trees came with the wind as a whisper. The voices sang of nightingales and of the coming spring. Of Green leaves and of blue flowers.

I let my thoughts escape my mind, as I did more frequently these past weeks. I somehow left my conscience behind in my body and hid behind pictures of memories. It was a sweet escape, peaceful.

My thoughts were interrupted and I was brought back to reality as the lord and the lady stood. I hurried to stand as well and followed their gazes. Five guests, three males and two females, approached us and sat down with us by the table. They were dressed in white, light blue or grey robes and gowns.

One of the males sat to my left. His hair was flaxen and his eyes piercing blue. He was strongly built and seemed to be proud, though firm due to the deep furrow between his dark eyebrows. To my right, one of the ladies sat. Her hair was long, it reached all the way down to her waist, and hung in silver waves. Her green eyes were fixed on the man opposite to her. His face was fair and he had straight hair of silver. He looked at the lady and reached out a hand to gingerly place on hers.

The other two I recognized, I must have seen them more than just passed them on the paths. The lady had golden hair that touched her shoulder blades and she looked strong, yet she was graceful. She had picked an easy gown for the evening, nothing to show off with but it was flattering for her body. The man sitting next to her was a bit taller than her and more slender than the other men. Just as the man two chairs away from him, his hair was straight and silver, the only difference was that his was slightly longer. His eyes were pitch blue and his eyes flicked about the food on the table. But I noticed that he would, just for the fraction of a second, cast loving gazes upon the female who sat next to him.

~"Where is your brother?"~ Celeborn asked the man whose hand covered the female's. The man looked up with an apologising look.

~"I excuse my brother. He will be here at any second."~ he said, with his head slightly hanging as a ashamed dog's. Celeborn gave a vague smile as he lowered and rose his head in a nod.

~"Do not excuse him, he is the - we have gathered here tonight."~ Celeborn replied. Even if I didn't understand the meaning of the one word, I understood what we was asking for. With my eyes twinkling in curiousness I cast my gaze about us to see who we were waiting for. Just as I returned it to my plate the others stood. I stood as well and turned to see who joined us. As I laid eyes on him, my heart froze.

It was him - the important one from the warrior elves by the talan. Realizing that, I suddenly recognized the lady with the golden hair and the man next to her. They were both elves of the guard-company. I had seen them many times and I wanted to smack myself for not recognizing them. Since I stopped sneaking about their talan, I had completely forgotten about them.

I focused on not looking surprised by relaxing my tense face so it softened and my eyes didn't look as wide. He who had joined us was dressed in white robes with a silver belt about his waist. His hair was as silvery as the belt and I could clearly see the similarities between him and, apparently, his brother, or brothers if I wasn't completely wrong. What made him stand out was his nose, which was more hawk-like than the others' straight ones. His gaze fell upon me and after a slight moment of confusion, his eyes became clear and sly. He bowed and sat down on the only empty chair, opposite to me. The rest of us sat down and I tried to hide my pink cheeks by looking down.

~"My lord, my lady, friends and family. Please accept my apology."~ he said. Lord Celeborn bowed his head and placed his clenched fist on his hard in a gesture of respect.

~"Apology accepted, Caun Haldir***."~ he said and I took notice of his name. After that, the people about me were exchanging joyous conversations. They ate, drank and laughed, while I sat quiet and watched them. It was not until I heard the lady mention my name as I looked up.

~"This is Gilrin. She is from the realms of Rivendell."~ she explained to Haldir, looking at me with a smile. Haldir looked at me with curious eyes.

~"I see. I have heard rumours of this youngling among us. She truly is as - as the maidens are saying."~ he said calmly and with a tone in his voice I didn't know how to describe. Though I didn't understand what he had said about me, I assumed it was a compliment judging by the smil on the lady's lips. I felt very uncomfortable and I blessed lord Celeborn for interrupting our conversation by standing up.

~"Now dear guests. It's time we reveal why you all are here."~ he began and looked at the all of us. He inhaled before continuing. ~"We have both heart-aching and joyous news to bring you this evening."~ he stopped and made a gesture to the flaxen man who sat next to me. ~"Lagoron, who we all know and respect, has decided to join our ancestors in the west."~

To the last part, the females exclaimed a surprised sigh and the men looked at Lagoron with frowns. They all bowed their heads at him with their fists above their hearts. Said elf bowed his head at each one of them, before letting lord Celeborn continue.

~"This means that the service as a Marchwarden is empty. After discussions with my wife,"~ he said and looked lovingly at lady Galadriel who smiled back at him. ~"and the captains in charges, we have decided to give you this opportunity, Haldir. As you understand, this means a greater responsibility for your company and to take care of the borders of our lands. It is your choice if either to accept or to deny, but consider the fact that this is no easy-earned opportunity."~ he finished and everyone looked at Haldir, holding their breaths.

The poor elf looked close to tears as he stood with his fist hard pressed against his heart. He stood with pride and I admired that he was so solemn concerning the offer. He bowed his head before answering the question

~"I gladly accept and thank you for your trust."~ he answered and joyful mumbles commented his choice.

~"May the Valar protect you."~ the lord finished and sat down.

~"May the Valar protect you."~ everyone replied in mumbled, including me. Haldir sat down again with a wry, bright smile on his lips, as if it still hadn't quite understood what had happened. His brother gave him a pat on his shoulder before the conversations began to flow again.

Everyone spoke of the news and many greeted the new marchwarden. As earlier, I kept quiet and let the food fill my mouth. The time passed slowly, every minute felt like ten and by the time Celeborn rose again, the moon stood on the sky. The voices ceased and everyone looked at him.

~"Haldir, Marchwarden of Lórien, I and Lagoron will speak more of your duties tomorrow. And Rúmil, Ordes. We would like to speak with the two of you as well. We would like you to join the company Haldir will be in charge of. But for now, dear guests, let us all get some rest. Thank you for being here."~ he sat. Everyone thanked him and his wife. They stood and cleared the room by swiftly following one of the air-paths, leaving me, the lord and the lady behind.

~"Goodnight."~ I said and began to move towards the path. My eyes were dry due to the lack of sleep.

_~Goodnight, Gilrin. May you rest well tonight.~_

The lady spoke inside my head, using her talent which resembled mine, only that she did not have to be in physical touch with the person she spoke to.

I turned my head and gave her a tired smile and bowed my head, before continuing back to my room. I hurried my steps, weary by the recent assembling.

My steps were swift and smooth. I moved down the water as smooth as pouring water, entering one of the stone paths on the ground. After a short walk, I saw the trail that would lead to my room. An exhausted smile drew over my lips as I slowed down my steps. But then, I heard the sound of light steps walking towards me. The important elf, Haldir the Marchwarden, rounded the corner and came in my sight. He looked up and noticed me. As we came closer to each other the both of us stopped and bowed our heads at each other.

~"Marchwarden Haldir, congratulations to your new post. I wish you all of luck. Good night."~ I said, beginning to walk again. But he didn't move from the middle of the path, but looked slyly at me.

~"Thank you, Gilrin of Rivendell. Child who hides among the trees."~ he added with twinkling eyes.

My eyes widen as slight gasp escaped my lips and my cheeks turned pink. My gaze flicked about my feet and I stumbled over the words, almost speaking in Westorn instead of Sindarin.

~"I-I'm sorry, I've never ment to, I didn't-" I began but he just waved it off and I shut my mouth.

~"Long I thought my eyes and ears were failing me. I am happy to know they didn't. But I believe that it would be best for everyone if you kept your distance from the guards talans."~ he said in a more serious tone. I nodded, still a bit ashamed by being caught, and avoided meeting his eyes.

~"I understand, Marchwarden."~ I said and he moved to the side, so I could pass him by. He gave a bow with his head.

~"Sleep well."~ he said before continuing on the path.

~"Goodnight."~ I said again, holding my breath. I went quickly and began to run as I reached the trail. Breathing heavily, I reached the top of the stairs. The feeling of awkwardness tumbled about inside of me and I simply tried to forget the meeting, hoping that I wouldn't run into him soon again.

xxx

The night was dark. The clouds prevented the light shines from both the stars and the moon to kiss the ground. The birds had ceased their singing a long while ago. The only sound that would be heard was bare feet against the cold ground.

Her eyelids closed and she looked deep inside of her, searching for the light she possessed. She let the power reach out from her and leading to the mind she searched for, many miles away across the misty mountains. Her presence was welcomed and she began to speak through her mind.

_~I fear I cannot give you the information we had hoped for, lord Elrond. Her past and future is hidden to me, I cannot find it. It must be buried deep inside her, she has spoken the truth by telling us that she doesn't know anything. _

_But by each day that pass she learns and grows a little more. By now, she speaks the language like a native. She will be ready for Mirkwood, the day is not far away now. I have grown very fond of her, as well as my husband. If the information of her past never will come to be found, we will gladly accept her to stay here with us. But I pray to the Valar that it won't occur, she does not thrive here. She misses her home, if she can't come back to it, I fear her health will be badly damaged. But we can't leave her without being watched, she could much well be one of Sauron the Deceiver's tricks. We do not know what power she can set loose, or what information she could be feeding him. She can lead to the destruction of us all._

_I believe she is ready. If she refuses to, she will have to come back on her journey to Rivendell. And if she refuses then as well, we will have no other choice than to assume that He has the control over her mind._

_But I pray for her thoughts to be clear and filled with light._

_May the Valar watch over you and fill your path with brightness, as well as this child.~_

**_xxx_**

**_Translations:_**

***Come forth, now!**

****Greetings, Gilrin. It's our joy to see you.  
*******Commander Haldir**


	24. The mirror of Galadriel

**Author's note: **

Hello there again. It's been SOOO longe since last and I really do appologize. I mean, look at everything that has happened since I published the last chapter;

the Eurovision Song Contest took place (and Sweden won woop woop! Did you watch it? Did you like our song? If not, what song should have won instead? If you missed the contest or just don't know what it is, it's a singingcompetition where each european country sends a song and they all compete which is the best song. Check out the winning song, you can just copy-paste into youtube; Måns Zelmerlöw Heroes), I finished watching four seasons of Glee, I've written a poem (which you can find in my profile) and I've made a story-profile-picture (please let me know what you think of it!).

But good news is, I have no more schoolwork to do and I graduate my sophomore year on wednesday (yay!). Next chapter won't take as long to write as this chapter did though - I've had a lots of homeworks and exams and stuff and I'm so glad it's over now. Thank you for hanging in there, you deserve an award 3

I hope you enjoy this chapter, not as long as the previous ones but I don't want to write a lots of crap just to make it a long chapter (also I've had the ending of this chapter on my mind for a very long time).

**xxx**

~"How is she fairing, my lord?"~ Lindir asked lord Elrond as he joined him in walk. The lord looked bothered by the telepathic conversation he just had had with the lady of Lórien. Elrond did not look up to meet his eyes, but focused on the path ahead of them, which only concerned Lindir.

~"She is well"~, he replied and a pleased smile played on Lindir's lips. He missed having the little elfling around, always overwhelming him with hundred of question about the world and its beings, and he really hoped she was enjoying her stay since he knew how much she hated being parted from her home. He had grown very fond of her during the four months she had spent in Rivendell, she was almost like a younger sister to him.

~"Her education has shown improvement, she now speaks the language fluently and the lady informs that she is ready to leave for Mirkwood."~ he continued, but there were something else but to his words but good news.

~"But?"~ Lindir asked, slightly impatient by the lord's ambiguity. Elrond stopped and looked at the, compared to him, young elf next to him with a serious look on his face, for he did not like what he was about to say.

~"But we are still not sure of her past. Galadriel will give her the last test, the mirror. But if she is not willing to work with us I am afraid there is nothing else to do."~

Lindir snorted confused and a bothered frown appeared on his forehead.

~"What are you saying, my lord?"~ he said as he caught up on Elrond who had begun to walk again.

~"If we do not know who she is, then we cannot trust her to be given information that can be used against us. Even less, she can be set out to her own."~ he said determined.

Lindir blinked a couple of times before the information set rooth.

~"But you promised her, you promised her she would return to her old life. You can't just take it away from her!"~ Lindir followed upset.

~"She can be a trick by the dark lord, master Lindir",~ Elrond replied roughly and their walk stopped again as he looked at lindir with a furrowed forehead. His expression softened a bit and he continued walking. ~"I know she is fond to you, but that does not change the situation. Even if she is not conscious about it she could might as well feed the dark lord information to break the walls of Rivendell and make us vulnerable, as well as Lothlórien. We cannot take the risk."~

Lindir's mind was a mess. Edengwen, the innocent child without family, a servant of the dark lord? It seemed not to be possible.

He wanted to say something but the lord's words were final - nothing he would say would change the situation. He only hoped that she would pass the test she would be given, for he was afraid that what awaited her if not would tear her apart.

xxx

The last of the day's light played on my face before the sun disappeared completely. I lingered a moment in the grass before sitting up. Dark shadows now moved among the trees about me.

~"Shall we go back?"~ I suggested and Arahael replied with a snort as he raised his head. The lord and the lady had made me promise to be back before the forest was completely covered by the darkness.

He approached me and blew hot air into my face. I smiled and gently stroke his forehead with the back of my hand. He closed his eyes and we sat like that for a moment, as if the time had frozen. The bird's sung no more but the silence were all about us and if you would close your eyes you could discern no sign of life.

I didn't want to head back to the city - even if the life here was beautiful it felt like a dream that had been stretched out until you no longer knew if you were asleep or awake. My mind was not as clear and bright as it used to be and the energetic spirit inside of me was fading. The only thing that kept the flame inside of me alive was the hope of returning home.

Home. Soon I would be home. My time here in Lothlórien was running out and in two weeks I would approach the great forest of Mirkwood, I had been told. But tomorrow, tomorrow was the day I was leaving this realm behind me.

The thought of meeting Legolas again made me nervous - it had been such a long time since we last met and he's always been someone I've known, even if it took a while for us to break the ice. I just didn't know where to place us; were we friends, or were we just acquaintances?

But there was something else that was nagging my mind as well; I had learned to regard the lord and the lady with great respect. They had always treated me with kindness, trying to make me feel at home here. Every night I would either sit in Galadriel's pavilion or listen to Celeborn as he told me remarkable stories about dragons, the fall of great cities and of brave warriors who saved numerous of lives. They took care of me and I'd learned to...

Love them.

Arahael ruffled my hair in impatience. He had too enjoyed his stay - the elves here treated him, if even possible, with greater respect and admiration than the elves in Rivendell. Always patting him and giving him sweets - and he knew that a wonderful meal awaited him back home.

With a smile playing on my lips I mounted him and clung on to his mane as he rushed through the forest. I closed my eyes and lifted my arms out my sides to feel the air run through my fingers like water, and the air also caught the ends of my dress. It felt like flying - an amazing feeling that tickled my toes and stomach as if I had swallowed a dozen butterflies.

All I could see was the beautiful blend of the silver bark of the trees and the golden leaves, for it was spring and the green leaves of Lothlórien had been replaced with ones of gold.

Our journey ended more quickly than I had wished for and I dismounted Arahael with a weary sigh. He nudged me in the side and looked at me with his big, worried eyes. I placed my palm on his nose and felt the soft hairs, white as snow.

_~We will leave in the early morning, together~,_

I told him and felt his acceptance. He knew I had considered letting him stay here since he enjoyed it so very much, but he would not let me leave without him.

He left me outside as he approached the stable in a slow pace but as he felt the scent of fresh apples he stopped and raised his head with pointy ears, before trotting inside and out of my sight.

I couldn't help but to smile down at the ground, before heading to my room.

The evening was cool and beautiful, since the stars were visible and twinkling down at the world beneath. Words were moving through the city, first as whispers, but as I went deeper into the city I could discern the words and the melody of a song.

_~Can you hear all the voices,_

_the voices who sing,_

_of the end of the spring,_

_and what it will bring,_

_Our Gilrin is leaving,_

_her new home behind,_

_the girl whose eyes,_

_are so loving and kind,_

_Her limbs are pale,_

_her smile is bright,_

_her lips are rosy,_

_her hair is of starlight,_

_Oh Gilrin is leaving,_

_will she ever come back?_

_she's leaving Lothlórien,_

_her laugh we will lack.~_

My cheeks were all red and hot and I hurried my steps to get away from the voices. I hadn't interacted with any of the elves, except for the lord and the lady, during these past months but they were always staring at me with annoyingly kind eyes and their gazes burned into my back as I went down the paths. It would actually be a relief leaving the gazes and songs, which _always_ were sung, behind me.

Neither would I miss their nickname of me, Gilrin - lady crowned with stars. It was too pretentious.

I followed the trail and slowly went up the stairs to my room. I let my hand follow the smooth railing as I went, thinking back at the time I had spent here. Except for the curious elves, I actually would miss it.

I shook my head. '_No'_, I thought. '_You will never come back here, you will get home. Home is what's waiting for you.'_ But the truth was that, even if I missed my home, my heart would ache while leaving this behind. Was it wrong of me? I mean, for these past eight months my one and only goal would be to returning home, but as the time ran out I thought more and more of the elves and their impact on me. Would I just leave them behind and forget them? It seemed impossible…

I entered my room and looked about me. Everything was as it should - tidy and clean. I went forth to the desk and touched the tunic and the pair of pants I had been wearing the day I got here, and that I would wear tomorrow. They had now been washed and folded, as if they were new.

The small, white flower caught my attention of the corner of my eye. It still looked as if had recently been picked, even if it had been out of soil for almost four months. Its petals were still soft as I touched them and I placed the flower on the clothes so I wouldn't forget it.

_Three soft knocks._

I turned my head and looked to the entrance.

~"Gilrin my dear,"~ the lady said with a soft voice as she bowed her head.

I returned the favor and approached her slowly. I noticed she was wearing a silver gown, the one I liked so much, since it reflected the light so beautifully.

~"I can see you have taken farewell to our forest."~ she said and I nodded in response.

She reached forth her hand to place a string of my hair behind my ear, but let her fingers linger for a moment. ~"I would like to show you something."~

My mouth opened slightly in surprisement. I had been here for four months, what was there that she had not yet showed me?

She moved down the stairs with smoothness, as if her feet were of running water, and I followed her with all grace I could presume, but did still not look anything close to her.

I followed her down the trail and onto the path. She followed the one to our right and our walk continued in silence.

We passed the environment I had learned to know so very well; first the glade, then the bushes with the white flowers, the little brook, the path to the right, the trail to the left, and so on. I thought I knew every stone and every tree in the area, that's why I was so bewildered when she lady followed an, almost invisible, trail to the left, leading away into an area I had never seen before.

The trees still looked the same, but there was something mystical about it, as if the air was static or the grass below my feet led me by force.

We made our way down a small staircase made of stone and entered a small glade.

I heard running water and noticed a pedestal of stone in the middle of the opened area. While I stood still at the bottom of the stairs, Galadriel passed the pedestal and stopped at a wall of stone.

In front of her there was a bath with pure water pouring into it. She filled a silver vessel with the water and gracefully turned around to move forth to the pedestal. She let the water pour into it with a fresh sound but I noticed that her eyes focused on me.

~"My lady, I do not understand?"~ I said, confused due to the circumstances.

~"Then I shall explain it to you. The mirror shows many things; things that have not yet come to pass, things that are"~, she paused to place the vessel on the ground, before stretching out her hand towards me in a welcoming gesture. ~"and things that were."~

I approached her slowly, still wondering what she wanted me to do. I looked down at the blank water and saw the reflection of the sky, as well as my face. I looked up at her with an almost despairingly frown. She gave a nod and I awaited her explanation.

~"Your past."~ she said.

'_My past?'_ I thought.

"What of it?" I said before realizing what she meant.

~"The mirror may show what you do not know; your family, your parents and where you belong. Do you not want to find out?"~ she asked as she slightly tilted her head.

I stood as frozen.

Eventually I took two steps backwards and let my concerned and slightly ashamed eyes meet hers. She looked bothered somehow, as if she would have hoped I would react differently.

~"I do not want to know who my parents are, or were. They left me and I am glad they did, for they gave me the life I desire the most."~ I replied with a low but determined voice. The lady regarded me for a moment before continuing.

~"What if they are still alive? Are you sure you want to live a whole lifetime not knowing of who they are?"~

I just shook my head and my hands were slightly raised as if to defend myself.

~"I do not want them."~ I said, a bit louder this time.

~"Oh, my Gilrin-"~ she began but I wouldn't let her continue.

~"No, stop it." I now yelled. She looked at me with pity which only caused my rage to grow. ~"They left me - they did not want me. Why would they have changed their minds?"~

It wasn't until I felt a cold drop of water on the back of my hand I realized a few tears rolled down my cheeks. I wiped them away and turned around, walking back and forth on the ground in lack of any better idea.

The lady stayed where she stood, with a wrinkle of concern upon her brow and caring eyes. I avoided looking at her by shame - I had not intended to react the way I had. Of course I had spent a lot of time thinking about my parents and former family and I asked myself questions as '_Why did they leave me?'_, '_Who were they?'_ and '_Didn't they love me?'_. But the words I had spoken were of truth - I did not want to know who they were or why they had left me, because their reasons why they had left me might darken my heart.

~"I want to know, but at the same time not. It's like the desire of touching a hot item - you want to take it so badly but you do not want to get burned. Do you understand?"~ I asked with sorrow in my voice.

~"I do."~ she replied and approached me. ~"And I will not force you into doing something you do not want."~

Her hand drew over my hair with care and affection. Her eyes looked at me with love and understanding.

_~My Gilrin, I will miss having you here,~_

She said in my mind with the power of hers that was so alike mine, and went towards the stairs.

It came as if a lightning had hit my head.

~"W-wait…"~ I stammered with an almost frightened voice. The lady hesitated in her step but did not turn around to face me. She had seen my thoughts and knew what was about to come.

~"Are-... Are you my mother?"~ I asked in a whisper.

It made so much sense, why hadn't I thought about this before? We shared appearance, only difference was that my hair was straight as Celeborn's. She was gifted with the power of mindreading and I was somehow too, only in a bit different way. The way she said "My Gilrin", the way she looked at me with love and affection, that I felt an urge to love and respect her and her lord.

Though I had already asked the question, I did not know what answer I was searching. I wanted her to tell me I was wrong because I did not know if I could bear to her hear her explain why she had sent me away as an infant, but one part of me wished her to say yes, to take me in her arms and embrace me as a daughter. I wanted her to care for me, to love and welcome me. I must be right about this, everything fitted so well.

Slowly, she turned her head and looked at me with eyes I had never seen before; they were tender as always but fragile, as if they would break at any moment. Her lips parted from each other but closed again as if she was about to say something but could not find the right words.

She took breath and her lips parted again.

**xxx**

**Heh-heh-heh, cliffie.**

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	25. My family?

**Hello,**

**I have to say that I'm really sorry that it took so long time before this chapter came up, I honestly thought I would manage to finish it before my family went away to our summer house - where we have no wifi.**

**But I've been working on this chapter for the past couple of days and I hope an extra-long chapter will make up for the long wait! Thank you for enduring last chapter's cliffie, really didn't intend for it to take so long time before updating... And THANK YOU for reading my story! We are up in 85 friends that keeps track of this story, you have no idea of how much this means to me - this is my first fanfic ever and my English skills are not the best (especially not in the beginning), I can feel how much I'm developing from each chapter and I just want to thank you who reads this for your support, even if you don't say anything. **

**Speaking of my bad English skills, I thought that if any of you guys would be interested to be my beta-reader for this story, then just send me a PM with your interest and your strenghts/weaknesses. **

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**Anyhow, I will stop talking now. Thank you yoloforever, windsongspringheart, Muirgen79, unicorn682006 and KiyaJinnSkywalkerKenobi for reviewing! Whenever I find myself having a hit of writer's block your reviews really is what's keeping me writing :3 **

**And as always, ENJOY**

**xxx**

The sun had just begun to peek over the edge of the horizon as I threw my bag onto my bed and roughly began to pack down all the things I had had whence I first had gotten here, four months ago.

I was already wearing the clothes I would be traveling in: a light blue tunic with hems and embroideries of silver, ending just below my hips, and it seemed as it would keep me warm in even the coldest of weathers; a pair of dark, not completely black but like the shade of night, dressed me from my waist and down. I noticed, to my joy, that it had pockets both on the back and the front; brown boots that were as light as air; from my shoulders there hung the cloak that had been given to me from lord Elrond. Lady Galadriel had let it be repaired from that awful night in the cave of the goblins, that still haunted my mind.

I touched the silver leaf that held the cloak together right between my collarbones and remembered the home in Rivendell that I had left.

At last, I took my book of herbs and plants from the desk and let it slide down into the bag.

'_There, all done',_ I thought and sat down next to it on the bed.

I found myself fiddling nervously with one of the leather straps of the bag and let go of it. My fingers tingled by the lack of holding something so eventually I gave up and began to fiddle with the strap again. My mind was a mess. I couldn't seem to focus my thoughts on anything without them sooner or later slipping back to… Back to the previous night. And then I was right there again.

"_Child", she said and turned to me. Her head tilted slightly and she looked at me with compassion. She began approaching me but stopped as I took a step backwards._

"_Are you… My mother? Tell me the truth. The whole truth. You cannot deny me what you know." A lump filled my throat as I had spoken and my pulse was raising. What answer would I get? And more importantly: Would I like it?_

I shook my head and stood, leaving the bag and the room behind as I entered the balcony. A breeze of the morning ruffled my hair and felt cool on my cheeks as I looked over the forest I soon would be leaving behind.

The golden treetops shimmered as the sun rose higher on the sky, reflecting the colors of the dawn. A couple of white birds flew over my head and settled in one of the trees a distance away. Their song was light and the feeling of spring settled inside me. I took a deep breath and let the scents of the forest overwhelm me: pollen, grass, dirt, wet moss, wild flowers, sun and dust.

It's a funny thing - how you come to realize how beautiful the place is first when you have to leave it. It somehow felt like I should have appreciated my time here more than I had. The nature had such a soothing effect on me.

I just stood there, lost in time and space, until a familiar voice brought me back to reality with a startle.

"It is time, my lady. They are waiting for you",

I turned around to see Faervel stand at the top of the stairs, watching me with that suspicious look that always played on his face whenever I was around.

I gave a nod and watched him disappear down the stairs without as much as a sound - apparently he didn't want to give me a reason to bump into him again.

I snorted.

What really set my mood on leaving was the fact that I would never have to see him again, ever. Though I, for his sake, hoped he would stop walking about with his nose so high in the air once I'd be gone - I wouldn't count on that too many maidens were interested in overconfidence, self-centered donkeys.

I gave myself a mental pat on the shoulder for the comparison.

With a sigh I couldn't discern if it was heavy, or just deep, I went back into my room and threw the bag over my shoulder. With a last check in the mirror, I corrected the golden hair pin in shape of a butterfly and drew back some of the loose strings behind my ears. Something white in the corner of my eye caught my attention.

'_Oh, I almost forgot you',_ I thought and picked up the white flower the lady had given me once I first had gotten here. With a smile on my lips I placed it in my hair right over the tip of my left ear.

I lingered by the mirror for just a moment longer. My cold fingertips drew over my pale cheek and my moss-green eyes stared back at me, judging me.

I looked young, or at least noticeable younger compared to the other female elves, but I had changed since when I first came here. Or maybe it was just all in my mind.

I took a breath and turned away from it, making my way out of the room which had been mine for the past four months. Before walking down the stairs, I turned to give it one last look.

Even though I was happy to leave, there was something inside of me that wanted to stay. Then I remembered the event from the previous night and turned, without hesitation, and began to walk down the grand staircase for the last time.

'_Soon I will be home again,' _I thought as I went.

But there was something that felt wrong. To be coming home again was my goal, it was what kept me going, my fuel. But the fire inside of me was fading. I knew that it would not be the same thing to come back, not after spending a year among the elves. And if I felt like this now, after only two thirds of the time, what would it be like when my whole time was spent? What would be of the people I have met - Gandalf, lord Elrond and Lindir? Would I let go of them completely and return to my old life? Or would I stay in Rivendell? Or would I-?

I clenched my fists, took a deep breath, and cleared my mind.

I came to the end of the stairs and corrected the bag before walking onto the trail leading to the path. The morning had, as well as it did every day, filled the grass and the yellow petals of the flower Élanor with tiny dewdrops that caused the soles of my shoes to become wet. And as always, a beautiful song was in the air.

I heard the distant sound of laughs from the maidens taking care of their morning duties, such as laundry, sewing, and preparing the deeds for the day. They seemed delighted and I wondered if I had ever seen any elf around here being sad or down, except for Faervel then, but he just looked as if he had stepped in something.

I followed the great path to the center of Caras Galadhon, where I assumed I would meet up with the lord and the lady.

My eyelids tickled every now and then and I was forced to rub them several times, attempting to rub off the sleepiness - I hadn't slept very good this night. Several times I had awoken by my concerned mind that had kept reminding me of the event that had taken place earlier that evening.

I shook off the thoughts and instead focused on taking the right path. I would soon be at their pavilion, the lady and the lord's, where white tables were filled with fruit and berries and the harps always were playing. The path lead me on until I could follow the sound of a harp coming from the glade I was searching for.

I hesitated at the top of the small staircase that lead down to the glade. It was now right ahead of me but the huge bush with white flowers kept me unseen from the people downstairs. The sweet scent of honey reached me and teased my stomach that growled quietly.

'_I have to face her sooner or later... Even if I would prefer the later one...'_ I thought as I took a deep breath and an anxious wrinkle played between my eyebrows.

I took another deep breath and then let the steps of the stair pass under my feet as I entered the open space.

The scene was pretty as a picture: tents of white silk had been set up over the tables and looked like great sails in the wind, the skilled fingers of two maidens touched the golden strings of the harps while a man was playing the flute, the morning sun broke through the golden foliage and looked like spotlights as it hit the ground.

By the tables stood the lady and the lord. Celeborn was fiddling with a grape for a moment before he placed it on his lips and Galadriel stood like a beautiful statue, holding her clasped hands still and letting her gaze linger on the forest surrounding her.

As I stepped out into the glade both of their gazes instantly fell on me.

It is hard to describe the expressions I saw on their faces. At first, their faces relaxed and the corners of their mouths tilted slightly upwards. But as they saw my fragile and concerned gaze both of their expressions deepened into more careful and unreadable expressions.

"Ah, Gilrin, you have arrived", Celeborn spoke in his deep voice and took a step towards me so that he now stood by his wife. "We were beginning to wonder if you had gotten yourself lost", he continued lightly and gave me a bright smile.

I approached them with a rather low head, since I didn't dare to meet their eyes that at the moment seemed more powerful than ever. Instead I focused on the table, the instruments and the end of my sleeve. I was only hoping they wouldn't mention what had happened yesterday, that was _not_ a conversation I was ready to have yet. Shame and anger still ran through my veins.

"My lord, my lady", I mumbled loud enough to be polite and bowed my head. They nodded back at me. "I suppose I will leaving as soon as possible?" I asked with newfound courage and a steady voice, looking up to meet lord Celeborn's steadfast gaze.

"Yes", Galadriel confirmed and I was just about to turn around and start walking towards the stables as she surprised me. "However, first we were hoping you would join us in a last meal before your leaving?" she continued calmly and made a graceful gesture with her hand towards the tables.

I had really been hoping they would have eaten breakfast without me, but there was nothing I could do about it now.

"Ofcourse", I replied, not quite able to hold back a sigh which I hoped they wouldn't have noticed.

We sat down at one of the round tables, one offering many options to feast on. The lady and lord sat down next to each other, and I opposite to them. They began talking of the season that had passed and of the one about to come, but their voices soon became a low hum in the background.

The harpist played a beautiful melody that caught the breath of the morning and the tunes of a flute joined in. I focused on the song and let every tune, every note enchant my mind.

Unconsciously I closed my eyes and let the nature occupy my senses; the sun shone in my face and heated my cheeks from the young morning that still held on to the winter; wonderful scents, not only from the food at the table but from the wood as well, filled and tickled my nose. Pollen, grass and air from a wind that had traveled long and far filled my lungs; in the background of the music I heard the sweet tweets of birds; and for a second, everything felt like normal, like it should.

"My dear, will you not eat? You will need it for your journey", lord Celeborn said and his deep, silvery voice interrupted my thoughts and brought me back to reality. I looked up at him for a second before lowering my gaze.

"Yes", I said and began filling my empty plate with fruit and honey-biscuits. It had been but a faint whisper but it was loud enough for him to hear. He sent a slightly worried frown to his lady, who gave his hand a gentle squeeze, before returning her gaze towards me.

"We have spoken, and if it would be of your interest", she spoke and I looked up at her. "Then we would be honored if you chose to stay here after your time in Mirkwood.

That I had not expected.

I felt my jaw drop but closed it quickly again.

"I-I, I mean-", I stumbled over the words and my gaze flicked from each item on the table as I blinked frequently.

"_If_ it would be of your interest. You do not have to decide yet, and the choice is completely yours", lord Celeborn spoke up and I silenced myself as my, now even more, fragile gaze met his. After a moment of utter silence, except from the harps and the flute, and reflection I opened my mouth.

"I am honored by your offer, and I shall consider it wisely", I heard myself say with a low voice as I looked down at the table with a wrinkle of concern inbetween my eyebrows, but I did not lie, my words were of truth. From the corner of my eyes I could see that the wrinkles of faint worry on their faces had been replaced with a soft smile.

"And for that we thank you, Gilrin", they both spoke in choire.

Before any of us had the time to say anything else, a tall maiden with silver locks hurried up to our table. She bowed at each one of us before giving us the news.

"The prince has arrived. He is told to wait for you by the stables", she said with a silvery voice.

The lady gave her a wide, bright smile before thanking her and sending her off.

"Well, we shan't leave him waiting, shall we?" she said and stood, quickly followed by her husband. I too stood and followed them in the direction of the stables.

We entered one of the smaller paths, the two of them walking first and then me following them. I heard them mumbling to each other, just low enough so that I could not discern the words.

After just a few minutes I could spot the familiar house through the trees, the first of the three symmetric stables. A grin fell over my lips and I hurries forth as much as I could without stepping on the lady's dress. They seemed to notice my excitement, for I could clearly hear the low chuckle of lord Celeborn and the soft laugh of lady Galadriel that rang like silver bells.

We entered the cobblestoned area in front of the stable that took the form on a circle and there, as clear as day, I saw him.

I had recognized him immediately by the golden hair that crowned his head and the soft eyes, clear and blue as the sky. He was dressed in green, from the dark riders to the lighter shirt and the deep green cloak covering his shoulders.

He did not notice us where we went as he spoke to one of the stablemen I knew as Rochon, the man who were in charge of the stable. I had never actually spoken with him, but he was always smiling and he took well care of the horses.

I suddenly grew very nervous. I hadn't seen him in such a long time, what page were we at? We had separated as good friends but had the time undone what had been?

Rochon noticed our approached and nodded in our direction. Legolas followed his move and bowed when he saw us. He left his horse in the care of Rochon and began to walk towards us.

He had not seem to notice me, where I went behind lord Celeborn, and flicked his gaze between the lord and the lady with a confused wrinkle upon his brow. The wrinkle disappeared as lord Celeborn took a step to the side and let me walk up next to him.

A little unsure of what to do, I bowed my head before letting my gaze fall on his face again. He had a soft smile on his lips, his eyes were twinkling, and his head was slightly tilted to the side.

As he returned the gesture I searched in his face more closely. He looked exactly like I remembered him, he hadn't changed a bit.

"Welcome, Legolas Thranduilion. I hope your journey have been safe?" lord Celeborn greeted and Legolas focused his eyes on him.

"Thank you, my lord. The journey has gone as planned and we hope it shall continue that way", Legolas replied.

'_We?'_ I thought and first then I noticed the three men by one of the other stables, all dressed in green as well. They looked very different from the Lóthlorien elves, the elves of Rivendell too, all from their darker, ash blonde and brown hair to the features of their faces: sharp cheekbones and more narrow eyes that were slightly tilted, very catlike. They were stronger built and seemed to be more cautious and observing of the environment.

Legolas followed my gaze and then gave me a reassuring smile.

"Do not worry, the road is not that dangerous. But it would be unwise to travel without a company", he said and I nodded in response.

I figured that I yet hadn't said a word, but I was interrupted before I could even say anything.

"It was a long time since last, Edengwen", he said softly and I startled when he used the name I hadn't been called for since what felt like a really long time ago.

"It was", I replied shyly and felt my cheeks heat up.

A sudden frown of concern appeared on his forehead and he looked up at the lord and the lady.

"I do not want to urge your farewell, but my father was very clear that we returned as soon as possible", he said and I saw the lady give a nod where she stood right next to me.

"And we shall not let your father wait longer than necessary", she said and suddenly took out a small, white envelope from somewhere she had hidden it and handed it to him. "Be so kind and give this to him. It is of great importance that no one but the king reads it", she continued sadly and Legolas took it from her with a slightly surprised but concerned frown. Before I could begin to wonder what it said she turned to face me.

My gaze was unsure as it looked up at her face, I had still not forgot the yesterday, but she did not seem to have those concerns on her mind any longer. Instead, she carefully drew back a strand of my loose hair behind my ear and kissed my forehead. By the touch I could hear her thoughts.

'_Goodbye, Gilrin my dearest. I did not intend to make our parting any harder, forgive me',_

She thought and removed her soft lips from my forehead.

A strange, tickling, cold feeling appeared in my stomach. I knew exactly what she had been speaking about and I almost felt bad for acting so cold. _Almost_. But I couldn't forget her, at least not yet.

"Our gates will always be open to you", she said out loud and let her gaze linger on mine for a moment before looking up at her husband. I got the hint and turned to face lord Celeborn. He too had a sad smile upon his lips, but his eyes expressed something that I had never been met by before.

He looked… Proud.

The guilt increased and my belly almost hurt by now. It had not been his fault, he had never been anything but true and kind to me. Why had I been so cold towards _him_? He always made sure I felt safe and well, and he had let me do almost anything I'd wanted to. As long as it made me happy. Now when I thought about it, he had treated me like a daughter. And now he smiled at me with such kindness in his eyes.

I could feel the wobbliness of my eyes and I almost wanted to hug him.

"You have done good, you should be proud over yourself", he said before wrapping his arms around my shoulders into a gentle hug. I had to bite my tongue to keep my tears from falling as he drew back and went over to stand next to his wife. I noticed a doleful expression on Galadriel's face.

"Be safe", she said before turning her eyes to me one last time. "And do not forget our offer." she said and I saw how her eyes now were watery.

xxx

"How are you fairing?" Legolas asked and my head popped up.

I was sitting in the periphery of the camp, leaving a good space between me and the other elves. We had traveled the whole day and had managed to get to the borders of Lorien, leaving the golden woods behind us, before the darker had rolled over us.

At first, I had listened to the elves and tried to figure out some of the words that I didn't understand due to their accent, but after a while my thoughts had gone back to the past couple of months and I assumed Legolas had noticed that my eyes had become glazed.

"I'm fine", I replied and looked down at my hands. My lips formed a tiny little 'o' as I noticed that I had clenched my fists so hard that my knuckles had become white. He sat down on the grass opposite to me and his eyes became slightly narrowed as he searched in my face with his gaze.

"You seem…", he paused to find the right words and my mind automatically began to fill the gap with words he seemed to have meant. _Sad_, _down_, _broken_, _sorrowful_, _bitter_. "Bothered", he continued. The curious gleam in his eyes told me that he had noticed some tension at our leaving this morning.

"I'm fine", I mumbled again. I still didn't know where we were at - we had barely spoken during our ride since the other elves had constantly spoken to him about what way we would ride, whether we should ride through or around the Gladden fields.

He did not look convinced but left me be. Instead he gave me a wry smile and nodded at the flower in my hair.

"Where will you plant it?" he asked. My hand flew up to touch the flower and I shrugged.

"There's an old oak by a small brook back home, I think they would thrive there", I replied and smiled to myself as I thought of home. i suddenly remembered the talk I had had with him the day before he and Aragorn left Lóthlorien, about my homesickness and my fear of changing into someone I wasn't. I found my courage and looked up at him.

"You once told me that it's not a bad thing to change*, and that it would be good for me, but how can you be so sure. As you said it can make you see things from another perspective, but can't it also take away a perspective you already have?" I asked and watched him as he thought of my question.

"Of course it can take away the perspective you already have, but that is your choice to make. You can either push away who you truly are, or embrace the fact that your true self can develop", he finally said. That really got me thinking.

Did it make sense, what he had said? Could I go through this and let it change me, and still be me? _Would_ I let it change me into someone I'm not?

'_Probably not'_, I heard a cocky voice say in my mind.

"If I may ask, why have you come to think of this? Did you not enjoy your stay?" he asked after a moment of silence. A wrinkle between his eyebrows caused his face to look both thoughtful and interested, and concerned, even though the rest of his features were relaxed and soft.

I looked away and didn't really feel like answering. That I was afraid of forgetting my background and who I truly am was not a topic I was up for discussing. Instead I just shrugged and mumbled "It was just something I heard…" and let my words be final of the discussion.

The embers of the fire was fading and a guard had been set out while the other two elves were sleeping. I caught Legolas looking at me with a smiling gleam in his eyes.

"I am glad to see you again. You have grown since we parted, even if it has been only four months. I hope you will come to love my home as much as I do", he said. I caught myself smiling back at him and tuned it down to a wry smile.

"So am I," I said low and shyly. "And I hope the coming four months will be…" I paused as I searched for the right word. "Spectacular", I said with a sly gleam in my eyes and he couldn't hold in a hearty chuckle.

xxx

I looked up at the stars where I laid. Legolas had left my side just a moment ago to join his kinsmen by the fire. He and the elf spoke in low voices that along with the cracking sound from the fire and the freshness of the cold night caused a soothing feeling to fall over my body like a cover. I closed my eyes halfway and let the impressions of the day run freely through my mind.

For the first time in these last couple of days I felt completely relaxed.

My lips parted as I took a deep breath and felt the night tickle inside of me. Right now, everything was just perfect and I wished I could stay like this for a long time, not having to worry that it would end.

The more rational part of me told me that I couldn't deny yesterday forever. The more I pushed it away the more it would bother me.

'_Okay'_, I thought with a sigh. '_Let's calm down and take it from the beginning.'_

_xxx_

"_Child", she said and turned to me. Her head tilted slightly and she looked at me with compassion. She began approaching me but stopped as I took a step backwards._

"_Are you… My mother? Tell me the truth. The whole truth. You cannot deny me what you know." A lump filled my throat as I had spoken and my pulse was raising. What answer would I get? And more importantly: Would I like it?_

_When I looked up at her again I was hit by her sorrowful gaze as if it would have been a fist. _

_Never before had I seen so much emotion flowing in her eyes, drowning out the light._

_She approached me again and this time I did not try to back away. As she was only an arm's length away from me, she stopped and crouched. _

"_You are right, and I shall tell you the truth", she said and my pulse raised, only to stop completely as she continued to speak. "But forgive me if the answer is not the one you seek."_

_I gulped and watched her hand as it moved towards my cheek. I knew what she was doing, she would let me enter her mind to see if she spoke the truth or not. A small breath of exclamation escaped my throat as her cold fingers touched my skin._

'_No',_

_The word echoed in my mind as she thought it. _

'_I am not your mother. Until lord Elrond informed me I had no knowledge of your existence.'_

_I felt sick._

_The nauseous crept over me and it felt like someone had pushed an iron spear through my stomach. And of course, the lady felt what I felt. Even though I wasn't completely sure of how I felt? Was I relieved? Sad?_

_At first I felt relief, relief that she hadn't sent me away as a baby, that I hadn't been a disappointment to her. But then a wave of disappointment mixed with despair hit me - she had become so much like a mother to me. And then the last wave hit me - shame. I felt embarrassed, embarrassed that I had let myself become so fond of her, and I hurried to take a step backwards. But right before her fingertips left my skin I felt an odd thought run through her mind, and then my move had left an empty space between her, still, outreached hand and my face._

"_Gilrin, do not despair. It is nothing you should be ashamed of, I have grown very fond of you as well", she said with a concerned frown, but at the moment her words meant nothing to me._

"_What was that?" I demanded, only whispering the words. I could see in her face that I knew exactly what I was speaking of. "That darkness, why was it connected to me?" I whispered with despair. I had seen it, the dark link between me and something evil._

_Galadriel rose with a blank face. She considered her options and words well as she just stared at me._

"_Don't you even consider lying, you owe me an explanation!" it came out more like a hiss and my eyes had become watery. She blinked and let out the slightest of sigh._

"_I shan't", she vowed. "But it would not be wise of me to speak of what we yet do not know", she continued with her noble face on._

"_What?" I exclaimed. "What is it that we don't know?" I demanded. She slowly began to turn around and walk towards the stairs again. I could see on the way she moved that she did not like ignoring me. "Tell me!" I now yelled and my fists were hardly clenched. She stopped in her steps and slowly turned her head to look at me._

"_If you are being used by the evilness. A mere toy of the dark lord, that is pulling your strings like a puppet to find a way to rip down the balance of the world into pieces."_

_I just stared at her. What exactly had she just said?_

"_T-the dark lord?" I stuttered, feeling extremely off-track. _"_**Evilness"**__, _"_**Dark lord"**__, I had never heard such a bizarre thing before._

_Galadriel slowly shook her head._

"_But do not worry", she said. "This is nothing that should be troubling your mind. You should go back to your tree, you have a long journey ahead of you", she continued with a false smile. But she did not fool me - she was worried and she was worried a lot._

"_Sauron?" I whispered in a question. I had a faint memory of his name, this Maia who had joined with Morgoth, the destructor of so much. _

_She didn't answer me, but she didn't have to. I saw it in her face._

"_You think I am on the same side as Sauron?" I yelled into her face, even though she stood a good count of feet away from me. I was boiling with anger that she didn't have faith in me, but though that I would help the darkness destruct her people. How could she have so low thoughts of me?_

"_Gilrin-" she tried tiredly but I didn't let her continue._

"_You think my purpose in life is to serve the dark lord?" I heard my raised voice crack and I suddenly became paranoid as I understood her thoughts: I had no background, no witnesses. I could be anyone, I __**was**_ _anyone. A mere stranger._

_Tears began to fall from my eyes, I could not hold it in any longer._

_I hurried past her and up the stairs._

"_Gilrin!", she called after me. 'Leave me be!' I wanted to call out to her but the tears and sobs made it impossible as I ran, clenching the fabric of the dress in my hand to prevent me from stepping on it._

'_Can it possibly get worse?' echoed through my mind._

xxx

I sighed and fought with the impossible task to keep the tears from rolling down my cheeks. I rolled over over on my side so my back faced the camp where the others were.

Me, a servant of Sauron. Was it even possible?

What if it was true? Had he somehow taken me as a child and placed me outside of Rivendell on purpose, only to be found when I was old enough to communicate with the elves on the inside?

But if it was true, then what did he want? What could _I_ give _him_? And how would he use me to destroy the people of elves?

'_He can't make me do anything I don't want to'_, I thought but then it hit me: what if he did, what if he could control me like a puppet, just like lady Galadriel had said?

I shivered by the thought of not being able to control my own body. I didn't know if I would be able to live with myself if could only watch myself be the destruction of everything. But then the most horrible thoughts of them all came.

What if he controlled me right now?

Had he been planting words in my mouth or made me look up things about the elves and their routines without knowing it. I had always thought my fondness of the elven history was only because of my curiosity…

I couldn't let him do this. I wouldn't let him do this. But what could I do to stop him, lock myself up in a tower? No, I would have to make sure he could never control me ever again, or make me hurt anyone. And there was only one way to make sure I wouldn't.

A cold wind dried the tears on my cheeks. I began thinking of my home, and I couldn't help but thinking that I had to see it at least one last time.

'_I have to do it after my time in Mirkwood, when they have released me, and there's no one there to stop me.'_ I thought.

Then a cold lump appeared in my stomach - think of all the people I'd have to leave behind: Gandalf, Elrond, Aragorn, Legolas, Celeborn. Even the lady.

I swallowed a lump.

'_Lindir'_,

The tears began pouring again, more than before and they fell in a quicker pace. There was enough of complexion in my life as it was, without having to worry about the dark lord - I still didn't know what to do when I was set free to live on my own again.

Would I forget the past year completely and live to the end of my days in the forest, or would I stay with the elves? I couldn't deny that some of them had become the closest to family I would ever come.

'_My family?'_

A thought hit me again.

If the dark lord had planted me in the woods, then my parents wouldn't have sent me away. Maybe I hadn't been a disappointment to them, maybe they had loved me. Maybe they were still alive.

I sat up with a gasp at the realization I had made.

"Edengwen?", I heard Legolas ask as he hurried over to my side. He let his gaze examine my wet face and a concerned wrinkle appeared between his eyebrows. I wept away the tears with the back of my hand as I looked away.

"No, I'm fine", I mumbled lowly. "I just…" I tuned off and let my glazed gaze fall to the ground. "I just had a dream."

My body was pumped on adrenaline. What if my family was still alive, and missing me, and looking for me.

Legolas placed a gentle hand on my shoulder and I looked up at him.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked with an equal serious and concerned face as the tone in his voice. But he saw the answer in my eyes and gave a slight nod. "I understand. Try to get some more rest, we will leave when the sun rise." he said with compassion before he went back towards the fire again, when I had nodded slowly to him that I understood.

The male guard he had been speaking with looked curiously at me, though his face was naturally stern, but I ignored him and laid down again, letting my back face their eyes instead of my face.

What felt like a hundred different thoughts screamed inside my head: did I have a family? Were they still alive? Did they know I was alive? Or had they given up their hopes on me as time had passed? Did they want me to come back? Would they be happy if I did?

Never before had I as much as considered that my family _hadn't_ neglected me, or meant for me to leave them. Sure, ever since I had learned what a family was and that I didn't have one I'd always wondered if mine had any good motives for doing what they did. Or at least that was what I had secretly hoped.

'_My family'_, the words sounded so smooth, yet powerful. Like a royal title. I wondered how they were, what they were called, and how they looked. I wondered if I had a mother, a father, maybe even any older siblings, that every day were missing their baby sister.

I couldn't leave this world behind without knowing if they were alive or not. And if they were alive, I would find them.

Or would I?

If I thought everything was complicated now, and had a hard time knowing what to do and where to go, then what would it be like after finding my family? And what would they think of me if I turned out to be a servant of Sauron? Would they neglect me for real this time. Would I really be able to go through that without having my heart broken?

But was I really that? A failure? A mistake? A _servant._

The cool wind caused the leaves in the trees to razzle. Dark clouds hid the stars and the moon, the only source of light came from the dying embers of the fire. The low mumbles of Legolas and the other elf sounded distant, even though they were only a couple of feet away from me. It had been a long day and I felt it in my limbs as well as my mind.

'_Will I ever know what to do instead of just panicking? And will I ever see my family?'_, was the last thing I thought before falling into the dream-like state.

**xxx**

**So, a lots of information and a lots of questions. Will see if she can answer any of them in the next chapter, when she arrives in Mirkwood.**


	26. The kingdom of mirkwood

**A/N:** Hello guys, it's time for a new chappie. I am really sorry for leaving you to wait for such a long time, during these past four months I have been full-time occupied with school. I'm not even kidding you, most days I've felt more dead than alive.

and very unmotivated. Some of you may have wondered if I've quit, but I will never give up on this story. I believe that if I have started something, then I have to finish it as well. I have no idea when the coming chapters will be published, and I won't promise anything, but I'll try to make the wait lesser than four months this time! But to all of you, a huge thank you for waiting, and an even bigger thank you for supporting my story. It really means a lot to me when you review and follow this story, and it's a kick in my ass when I'm feeling unmotivated.

I would also like to give a HUGE thank you to Windsongspringheart for beta-reading this chapter, I am beyond words of gratefulness.

As a finish I would like to answer the anonymous persons who commented on the first chapter:

1\. I have never, nor will I ever, delete any bad reviews I receive. Everyone has the right to express themselves.

2\. Hey wonderful, I've got 26 chapters of junk actually. Sure, anyone could probably write this story, but now I am the one who writes it. This story is just a silly idea I got after watching the second Hobbit movie that just happens to be expressed online. I won't defend my character, she's probably quite a Mary, but let me inform you something: writing a good story takes experience and practice, and when you write a story for the first time ever you lack both of these. This _is_ my first story ever that I have written in a language that isn't my native and published it online, so of course I too lack experience. But then again, I'm only writing this story for my own good - because it's a great way to relax and develop your creativity (which the square-shaped society of ours have ripped apart and stepped on). I am not writing this because I believe it's the best fanfic ever, I am not publishing it because I think it deserves to. I am simply doing this because I enjoy sharing my little piece of creativity with others who, like me, enjoy seeing things from a different point of view. I am not trying to write myself into this story, I am simply practicing on creating and developing interesting characters. Like I said, this is my first story and when I began writing this I had no idea of how to do anything, least of all how to get to know your character, but I have developed so much since then - I mean, it has almost been a year!?

So, my simple advice to you is that the next time you see something you don't like because it doesn't suit you, scroll past it because every time you hate on this level on someone's story you stomp on their creativity. You wouldn't go up to a toddler and rip apart something they made and are proud of, would you?

I really appreciate the constructive criticism I get, only there's a difference between a comment written in anger and hate and a comment written from the heart. Thank you for reviewing, have a nice evening.

To all of you who has reviewed and stayed with me so far, THANK YOU. Each of you has a little own corner of my heart.

* * *

Small raindrops began to fall from above. I looked up, only to be met by the sight of gray clouds roll over us from where we were heading toward. A shiver fled down my spine and I couldn't shake that unpleasant feeling off of me. My shoulders were tense, causing my neck to ache.

Arahael sent me a comforting thought and I gave him a gentle pat in return - only the Valar knew what I would have done if he hadn't been there with me. His strong mind encouraged me even though I could feel his concern of the shadows ahead of us. A thin, dark line could be spotted in the horizon where the sky touched the ground.

I narrowed my eyes and as we came closer I could discern the trees; dark, great, and twisted branches that grew from gnarled trunks. The foliage looked like an orange ocean over the dark trees, causing an unpleasant, tingling sensation to grow in my body.

I looked at Legolas from the corner of my eye. Unlike me, he seemed to relax as the forest came into his view - glad to return home, I assumed. His eyes always lit up when he spoke about the forest where he had grown up and mastered the skills of tracking and archery.

He turned his head to me with the most genuine smile on his lips.

"We will soon be there," he said before urging his horse into a quicker pace.

"So I can see," I muttered so low that no one possibly could have heard me. I looked about at the other elves and their facial expressions showed nothing, as always.

_I get a foul feeling from these woods,_I thought to Arahael and he gave an agreeing snort.

My thoughts went back to my home, like they often did these days. The high trees and the what now must be golden roof above them.

"Halt!" Legolas called as the forest came to our feet. He dismounted his horse and crouched, letting his fingers draw over the ground. His eyes were focused and he probably didn't even notice the tiny wrinkle that played between his eyebrows. He turned around to face us, the moment of concern over his visage had been replaced with relaxation.

"No one has entered here since we left, the forest should be safe to enter," he said while swiftly mounting his horse.

I choked on my breath a little.

"What do you mean 'It _should_ be safe'?" I heard myself splutter anxiously.

He turned to look at me with the same wrinkle he had had as earlier. He opened his mouth slightly, but seemed to search for the right words before he spoke.

"A pack of orcs were found hiding in the woods a week before we set off to Lóthlorien," he said. "But worry not," he hurried to add, before my heart began to pound faster and a numb feeling spread across my body. "Guarding-patrols were set out and there have been no signs of creatures of darkness since."

The smile he gave me was probably meant to be reassuring, but it honestly didn't make me feel any better. It felt as if I had swallowed a dozen feathers that now tickled inside my stomach. The memories of that night in the goblin cave forced their way into my mind, the memories I had tried so hard to forget.

"If you say so," I mumbled so low that only the wind could hear it as the three elf-guards urged their horses after Legolas'. Arahael followed the others in a slow pace but his ears moved quickly with a circular movement, trying to discern every sound of the forest and where they came from. I could feel his tense musculature underneath me and hear the voice of his instincts that told him to turn around.

_Four months, just four more months,_I thought to him, even though it probably calmed him down just as much as Legolas' smile had calmed me - not at all.

All of a sudden, I noticed something that should have hit me way earlier. Where were all the birds? The twisted trees stood empty and no song could be heard from the treetops. Everything was in complete silence, except from the sound from the pacing horses.

I couldn't even hear any wind brushing through leaves and branches. The air somehow managed to be stinging-dry and damp-thick at the same, and it got worse the further we went. Unlike me, Legolas and the other elves, whose names I had learned was Bainon, Celegnir, and Tunnon, did not seem to be affected by the sudden change of environment. Due to the thick, damp air sweat was pouring down my neck and caused my hair to tangle itself.

I noticed some odd flowers growing up the trunk of a tree, clinging on to it like a baby holds on to its mother. They were of a deep red color, close to purple, and the petals were dented as if someone would had bent them. I had never seen such a flower, nor any such plant, before. Not even in my books. They quickly caught my interest and I suddenly found myself on the ground, standing on grass.

I crouched, dipping my right knee onto the damp ground, and tilted my head. This close up, I noticed that the flowers were covered with small dots in the colors of dark red, blue, and violet causing the flowers' odd color. Instead of normal, diamond clear dew drops there was a dark liquid lurking in the nectar.

The curious part of me took over and before I knew it, my index finger was approaching the sticky mass.

"Do not touch it!" Suddenly Legolas was at my side, holding my upper arm firmly, but not firm enough to leave a mark, to prevent me from touching the flower. His voice was calm, but the hurried tone and the flash in his eyes gave away that my action was more serious than I had thought.

As his grip softened, I pulled back my hand and stood, facing him with a soft pink color shading my cheeks and waiting for him to continue.

"_Tatharmeril*_, Willowrose. A single drop of the juice in one's blood is enough to kill a grown man. Even instant contact can be fatal, the poison paralyzes the body and the cure is extremely painful. The experience can haunt the mind for decades," his voice was calm and steady, but somewhat sad. As if he knew more of this experience than from what he had read.

"It's very beautiful though," I whispered as I took a step backwards and watched the climbing flowers.

"Indeed they are," he agreed.

The both of us just observed the plant for a second before he turned to me with a newfound smile.

"You will find many obscure plants here you may have never seen before," he added. "Only be sure to know them before you pick them," he added and I could feel the mental nudge, which caused the corner of my mouth to twitch a little. Perhaps this visit wouldn't be as intolerable as I had thought. It could be a great opportunity for me to explore fauna I had never seen before.

"Where are the others?" I asked after looking back and finding only Legolas' steed and Arahael looking at us with curious eyes.

"The camp for the night is not far from here. They were to ride ahead and inform the guards of our approach," he explained and turned to walk back to his horse while I followed a few steps behind. "And the guards will send word to the king."

Right, the king. I hadn't really paid any thoughts on him, to be honest. It was more the thought of being far away from everything I knew that was what I disliked. But the king Thranduil Oropherion, ruler of Greenwood the Great, now occupied my mind.

I remembered him clear as day from the time I had run into him back in Rivendell. His eyes that were such a piercing silver blue and his hair that shimmered like starlight. His proud posture that immediately told he was of a noble kin. But there was something else as well. A certain coolness, or even aloofness, about him. Perhaps this opinion would change when I met him now - but when would I meet him?

"I thought we were close to the city?" I asked as I lightly mounted Arahael who had already begun to follow Legolas' horse.

"Nay, the city Iays deeper into the forest. We won't reach it until tomorrow evening I'm afraid."

* * *

_The bell-like sound of pouring water sang in my ears and the soft grass tickled my bare feet. It smelled of morning; the coolness of the night was still holding on to the moist air and the smell of damp dirt hit me. _

_I was home. I was finally home._

_A huge leap later, I found myself running and jumping between the branches, embracing the familiarness. I stopped first when I almost collided with a bird. Startled, it flew up to a higher branch where it settled, not letting its eyes off of me._

_I climbed a little higher, holding onto a branch as I reached out my other hand towards the little bird. _

"_Don't worry, I won't hurt you," I said._

_It tweeted a few times before flying off just as I was about to touch it._

"_That was odd," I muttered to myself with a frown as I began to climb down again. A moment later, I let go of the branch I was holding onto and let myself fall the last couple of feet. The tree I used to live in wasn't too far away now._

_As my feet lead me towards my home, I couldn't help but acknowledge the feeling of something being wrong that grew in my stomach._ _Everything looked the same as when I had left, but it looked so different too. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, so instead of trying to find what was wrong, I put it aside. _

_I looked around me, searching for the white owl I had missed so much, as well as Arahael. I whistled, called, and sang but there was no response from either of them._

_As I entered the glade of my tree, my breath caught in my throat and it felt like a knife twisted inside my gut._

_It was rotten._

_The whole tree was dark gray and covered with white moss. The odour of mold hit me. There was no doubt that it was sick._

'_For how long have I been gone?' I thought as I tried to gather the thousands of thoughts that screamed inside my mind. _This _did not happen withinjust a couple of months. It would take years, many years, before a tree would become this ruined. I had never seen anything like this in all of the years I had been around._

_Now thatI realised what was happening, my search for Arahael and the white owl became desperate - I called and yelled until my throat couldn't handle it any longer. My own knees failed me, dropping my body to the wet ground. The whole world was spinning and the nausea spread across my body like a wave. I buried my face in my palms, trying to shut out the world._

"_Do not weep, this is not your fault," a sudden voice said._

_Even though my hands covered my ears, I could hear the voice just as clear as if I didn't._

_My head jerked up, only to find the sight of a woman sitting on a mossy stone a few yards away. She was looking at me with sympathetic eyes, green as the moss she sat upon, and a weak wrinkle played between her brows. Her hair was like a golden waterfall, flowing down from her head and over her shoulders, only to end at the bottom of her waist. A thin, green garment that complimented her pale skin dressed her._

_I scrambled to my feet, startled and confused. I swore I had never met her before, yet there was a certain familiarity about her. Her face and posture._

"_Do not be frightened, I am not here to hurt you," she continued and made gesture for me to sit down beside her. Her voice was soft, even though it carried the weight of years._

"_Who are you?" I asked as I slowly approached her, tilting my head as I observed her closer._

_There was a kind and bright spark in her eyes, which I now noticed were not mossy green but actually a lighter green spotted with a golden color. A couple of tiny freckles hid on her cheeks and though she wasn't smiling I could still see clear marks from where her dimples would appear._

"_Someone you can trust," she replied calmly and let her hands rest in her lap. Her gaze was on me the whole time as I walked forth and sat down on a stone just a couple yards away from her. Once again I looked about us and felt my gut twist as the landscape still looked like a nightmare._

"_What is happening?" a whisper escaped over my lips. "What is this, how can this be? I just left, the forest can't be dead, I-" the words just kept falling out my mouth until the lady raised a hand to silence me._

"_Hush. Your questions will be answered. Have patience," she said kindly, tilting her head. If her voice hadn't been soothing enough, then her smile was._

"_Please," I begged with a whisper. "What's happening?"_

_Her eyes lingered on me for a brief moment before gazing out over the surroundings._

"_This is life," she simply said._

"_This isn't life, it's death!" I exclaimed, upset. She gave me another look, containing a hidden smile._

"_Oh, but death is only a part of life. Without death, what would life be?" she asked rhetorically. I opened my mouth to protest, but I couldn't find a sensible response. Slightly stunned, I sat there with a deep frown on my face. Eventually I shook my head and abandoned my first question._

"_But why is this happening?" I demanded, impatient as always. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, breathing in the forest._

"_This is what will come to be," she said. She sensed I would splutter out another question and raised her hand once again, stopping me in the middle of my intake of breath. "Patience, child."_

_After a moment of silence, she continued._

"_Everything must come to an end, that you must understand?" I gave a nod, even though it was more of a statement rather than a question. "This forest is ancient, but also it must come to an end. As well as the creatures consuming it."_

_My mind left me for a good couple of minutes before I could think normally again. I had never thought of it that way before, that eventually I would be alone. Not only would the creatures leave, but eventually the whole forest would fade. And I would be completely alone._

__"_Wha-what can I do?" I stuttered._

_All of a sudden, I felt her cold hand hugging mine tightly, causing me to look up. She was leaning closer to me, looking deeply into my eyes with a reassuring smile._

"_That only you can decide. But whatever choice you may choose, choose wisely. These woods will not last forever, but some things will."_

_My heart began to beat harder than ever and I stood, pulling away from her as I did. My head pounded along with my heart, once again making it hard to think clearly._

_What choice? What was she talking about?_

_I turned around to confront her, but found the stone to be as empty as it had been when I first arrived._

"_Wait, come back!" I called, spinning around to see if she was anywhere in sight, but she was completely gone. "You didn't even tell me who you are," I mumbled._

* * *

The stars above shone like diamonds through a looking glass. They seemed to shine brighter out here in the middle of nowhere. I extended my arm towards the dark sky as if I could reach the Valacirca** with my mere hand, but all I could touch was the cool air of the night.

My eyes left the soothing stars for a moment to look about myself. The other elves of my company were resting deeply, hazily staring up into the sparkling sky.

I sat up, feeling a cool breeze brush through my hair as I did, and saw the most breathtaking of sights; when the moon- and starlight shone upon the amber leaves, the darkness around caused them to look as if they were made of golden stardust.

As the day had turned to evening, Legolas and I had caught up with Bainon, Celegnir, and Tunnon, and together we had reached the huge tree they said was one of the guards' stations. The tree was incredibly strong and tall, with great branches twisting upwards toward the sky, as well as down until they met the ground. The roots grew over a boulder, almost consuming it, and somehow created a staircase up into the canopy of leaves. At the top of the stairs, the inside of the tree created a room, from which a smaller case of stairs lead up onto the platform we now rested on.

My crossed arms rested on the low branch, which acted like a fence, and I placed my chin upon them. The dawn was not too far away, but I knew that I wouldn't be able to fall asleep again. Not after that odd dream.

That woman, who was she? Her face was familiar, but I could swear I had never actually met her before. She just didn't fit in, not in Rivendell nor in Lóthlorien. But if I hadn't seen her there, then where? I knew I hadn't spoken to her because her voice was unfamiliar to me.

But then it was what she had said:

"_This is what will come to be. This forest is ancient, but also it must come to an end. As well as the creatures consuming it."_

The thought had never struck my mind before she said it. That eventually, everything would suffer demise. Everything except for me. For the immortality would always be my burden, it would always part me from the ones I loved.

"_Whatever choice you may choose, choose wisely. These woods will not last forever, but some things will."_

* * *

"Open the gates!" someone called in the distance.

I straightened myself, attempting to see what was happening ahead. We reached the top of the hill and the path continued slightly downhill, before debouching onto a narrow stone bridge. At the end of the bridge, where the roots of the mountain grew into the ground, great pillars looking like grown trees, grew up towards the ceiling.

It was astounding, and as the two doors opened to greet us I heard the ticking of working cogwheels. The sound of wild water echoed in my ears and as we passed over the bridge I looked down, only to find a great river flowing right beneath us.

"Are you well?" Legolas asked. He did not seem worried, but rather amused at my amazement. I replied with a short "_Yes," _and a wry smile before continuing my observations. I heard the deep chuckle in his chest, just like a kettle puttering over a fire.

As we entered the mountain, the world suddenly became dark and it took a while before my eyes could discern the figures. Everything smelled of earth, not cold, wet, and dirty, but rather warm and homey. On the walls there hung torches and different models of carved lanterns.

Pairs of guards were placed out symmetrically along the paths and doors we passed, still riding the horses slightly downhill on a curved path. I felt Arahael's unease towards the dark and new environment. I gave him a pat, reminding him that we were in this together, and shook off the odd feeling.

We arrived in what I assumed to be the lowest level of the palace. There was light from the outside shining in through a thick wooden door as well as through tiny holes in the top of the walls. The familiar scent of a stable hit me and I understood that this was where I and Arahael would have to part.

_I will be back,_I thought to him as I dismounted him, leaving him in the care of the stablemen. Though he let himself be lead away, he did not look satisfied.

"He is in good care," Legolas assured me, to which I replied with a weak smile. But the truth was, I probably needed Arahael more than he needed me.

I looked to Legolas, wondering what we were to do next. He was speaking to one of the guards and I overheard them discussing the matters of the safety along the borders of the kingdom. Standing there all by myself, I felt completely out of place. Everyone around me knew exactly what to do, smoothly handing weapons over to each other and laughing.

After what felt like half an hour, but was more like ten minutes, Legolas finally ended his conversation with the guard and approached me.

"I will show you to the hall of the king," he informed me kindly with a nod of his head and began walking towards a grand spiral staircase that was entirely made out of wood. How they had managed to make it I did not understand, but I let go of the thought and hurried after him.

"Legolas," I began as I caught up with his strides. Without stopping, he turned and tilted his head towards me. "Does he want to see me right now?"

I quietly swallowed a lump in my throat, not wanting to show how nervous I actually was.

"Yes, he was very clear with that," Legolas replied, now thoughtfully looking ahead of us. I noticed a slight tension in his jaw, which caused me to wonder what he was thinking about.

I decided to leave him be, which wasn't quite that hard since my own thoughts kept me occupied along with the tingling feeling in my stomach. I didn't know why I was so nervous, yet a numb feeling struck my knees.

The staircase led us upwards towards the ceiling. Eventually we reached a small bridge connecting the giant stairs to a path also made entirely out of wood. Legolas guided me along and onto the many paths that formed a labyrinth in the air. Finally, we stepped onto a new, wider path that led upwards. It was as if we had entered a new room: beneath us, green grass was covering the rocky and uneven hills and rivers were pouring about them; great pillars, wider than some of the biggest trees I had ever seen, raised from the ground and clung to the ceiling like roots to the ground.

"We will soon be there," Legolas said, and raised a pointed finger to something that looked like a platform surrounded by smaller pillars. All of a sudden I felt very tiny.

As we approached the platform, the invisible knife in my stomach twisted deeper. Two guards stood on each side of the final couple of stairs. They were fully dressed in dark green armor, holding tall and threatening spears. As we passed them, I subconsciously took a step in behind Legolas, and in that action hiding my face from them. Well up on the platform I began walking slower, observing the new environment.

The great columns surrounding the platform caused it to feel as if we had stepped into a room. The platform itself was made of a light, rough stone and I could almost feel the coolness through the soles of my shoes. The carved pillars caught my attention and I studied them from the bottom to the top where they met the ceiling.

"I see my kingdom fascinates you, elfling?" the voice was sharp and cool, like a morning's breeze, though it contained both strength and pride.

My head jerked to the side and my eyes looked up. I had focused on looking at the decoration so much that I had missed the great spiral throne that rose several feet above the floor. The elven king I had met months ago was looking at me with curious eyes and I noticed the beginning of a smirk upon his lips. He sat casually, not like you would expect a king to sit, for his feet rested over one of the armrests of the throne, while his body leaned onto the other one, and his straight silver hair hung over his shoulders.

Legolas stopped in front of the throne and bowed quickly before turning to look at me. I hurried my steps forward and copied Legolas' move before once again looking up to the king. His eyes were just as his voice - cold, but playful. Without saying a word, he just looked at me.

As the silence approached the state of uncomfortable, Legolas took a step forward and exposed a small envelope from where he had kept it in the inner pocket of his shirt.

"Lady Galadriel asked me to give this to you," he said. Thranduil shifted his head slightly and looked to his son with a nod. As he rose, the green fabric of his clothes moved about him like the softest of silk, causing it to look like a dark river as he went down the stairs. Unlike the previous minute, he now wouldn't look at me at all.

"Your journey had no complications, I was told," he said as he took the white envelope from Legolas' hands. He then turned around and slowly began to walk back towards his throne as he opened the letter and began to read.

"Yes, there was no sign of orcs," Legolas affirmed. He stood tall and proud, knowing his father's way.

I noticed the king's eyes linger at the end of the letter, as if he kept reading the last sentence over and over again, and then, as if it had been nothing at all, he lowered his hand and placed the letter and the envelope on a round wooden table.

"I wish to speak to our new guest in privacy," Thranduil said as he met his son's eyes. The knot inside my stomach tightened and I noticed the change in Legolas' face; his mouth opened slightly and his eyebrows pinched together.

"But-" Legolas began.

"I understand you have your duties to catch up on, since you have been away," the king interrupted with a sharp voice. "Or has the journey wearied you, my son? Then perhaps you should take a hot bath."

I didn't know if either he was being sarcastic or serious, which only caused him to appear more aloof than he already was.

"I will speak to the guards," Legolas said defeated through a slightly clenched jaw and sent me a quick look before turning around and disappearing down the road from whence we had come.

The king turned again and now approached the table with the envelope. My fingers were almost twitching by curiosity, for the entire road I had wondered about this mysterious letter that Legolas wouldn't have let anyone, including himself, read. But instead of picking up the letter, he filled a crystal glass with a dark red wine.

"Now tell me, elfling, what have you learned during these past months?" he asked without looking at me. A wrinkle appeared between my pinched eyebrows - what did he mean? With a deep breath I found courage.

"My name is Edengwen," I began. He stopped in his step, turning his head only slightly in my direction before he returned to sip on his drink. I understood that he took notice of the dislike of my new nickname. "And I have learned of the elven history, traditions and-"

I was interrupted by a slow chuckle. My frown grew and I took a step backwards as the king followed the stairs back up to his throne.

"Not as sharp as they say," I thought I heard him mumble. "What new have you learned of yourself, of who you were born to be? You truly are a mystery to us," he continued. His voice was now calm, and softer than before.

"Um, nothing, my lord," I answered. "I have found no answers," my voice fell slightly towards the end of the sentence by my own disappointment. Even though I didn't really want anything to do with my real parents, it was still something that bothered me. Not knowing who they were almost seemed worse than knowing.

"Nothing?" he asked gingerly, tilting his head, and I shook my head in reply. "What a pity," he replied shortly, watching me thoughtfully, as if he could figure out my background only by observing me. I noticed how he was vaguely biting his bottom lip as he thought hard.

"I suppose," I muttered, fiddling with the end of the arm of the tunic I was wearing.

"And your…ability?" he continued.

"What of it?"

"Any further progress?"

I frowned deeply.

"I do not understand what you mean." My answer was met by an annoyed sigh.

"I take that as a no," he said and rose, hands clasped behind his back. "Very well. If there is no more important information you have that would interest me," he made a pause, waiting for me to fill in, but I had no further information. "Then I shall send you on your way." He nodded towards the path leading away from the throne room, or what he now called it, as he sat down on his throne in a comfortable position. "Take your leave, a guard awaits down the hall. He will show you to your room and he will be your custodian during your stay here." His voice grew deeper as he straightened his back. "Tomorrow your lessons will begin at dawn. You will learn how to defend yourself, with and without weapon."

I gulped down the lump in my throat that had begun to grow. Perhaps these four months would be harder than I expected.

As I turned around to head down the path and leave this center, the thought hit me and I slowly turned around to face him again.

"The letter, what did it say?" I asked. His facial expression was empty as his eyes went from my face to the letter that still laid upon the wooden table.

"It carried no new information," he said simply, still not looking at me. Exhausted by his manners I decided to let go of it for now and carry on down the path, leaving the throne room behind. It was impossible to know what time of the day it was, due to the lack of windows and natural light, but I assumed that the day had turned into evening.

Just as the king had explained, a guard awaited by the end of the path. He quickly introduced himself as Thondir and told me to follow him through the halls. His strides were fast and his face remained expressionless, but the green armor he wore sparkled every time we passed a lantern.

We went on for a good fifteen minutes or so, the halls seemed to be like a labyrinth with stairs and new paths every time we passed a corner. I really hoped I would learn to find my way through the halls sooner than I expected.

Finally, we reached a wide corridor with great wooden doors on each side. We didn't stop until the end of the corridor, where my custodian handed me a key of silver. It weighed surprisingly heavy in my hands for being so small that it fit in my palm. He looked first to me and then to the door with a nod before excusing himself, adding that he would be here to escort me to supper later that evening and that I was not supposed to leave the room.

A loud 'click' came from the door as I turned the key in the lock and it squeaked as I opened it, drowning the sound of Thondir's fading steps. Carefully, I stepped into the room, taking in the view.

It was quite large, larger than my room in Lóthlorien had been, and the walls looked to be made out of some flat, grey stone. The floor was made of stone as well, though it was completely smooth and so cool that I could feel it through the soles of my shoes. With joy, I saw the reason we had walked so far - two medium-sized windows, one on each side of the bed, faced the dark outside. The room was lit up by a couple of lanterns hanging on the wall and I noticed how a candle flickered on the bureau. I walked further into my new bedchamber and let my fingers draw on the green covers of the large bed.

A sudden noise startled me and I spun around. But there was nothing there. As the noise came again I understood it came from the closest window. Looking closer I found that it had only been a smaller twig from the ivy outside that had moved against the window in the wind. Pressing my palm against cold glass I absorbed the dark night, it was clearly later than I had thought. Only the faraway stars could be seen, but the sound from a nearby river reached my ears.

Exhaling the day, along with the journey to get here, I sat down on the bed. The room was quite homey and I thought to myself that I actually would like it here, despite the labyrinth of pathways.

I felt how my eyelids grew heavy and with a yawn I laid down to rest for a moment. But before I knew it, I had fallen asleep.

* * *

* Another original flower, meaning: Willowrose

** "'Sickle of the Valar', it's the most important constellation of Middle-Earth. It was created through the joint efforts of Aulë and Varda, who set it in the northern sky as a challenge and a warning to Morgoth of his eventual downfall." - askmiddleearth (tumblr blog)

* * *

For you guys who have tumblr I have started a blog, thesonicsmiley, where I publish teasers from coming chapters and a little bit of everything. You can find it right here. (Link is also in my bio).

Merry christmas and happy new year to you all, and don't forget to answer the poll on my profile :)


	27. Time flies like arrow

**A/N:** Hello folks, long time no see. I have (as I mentioned in the previous chapter) been really busy for the past couple of months. I'm in my junior year of high school and it's also the toughest one - ¼ of my weekly lessons are math and since the previous update we have almost completed a whole cours. I also have a lot of chemistry, physics, and biology to deal with and the examines of all the different courses, as well as the national tests, are starting to sneak up.

Well, well - I hope a long chapter (the longest so far actually) can make up for my tardiness. I still can't say when the next update will come, only that I'm working on it. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Thank you **silverwolfighter00, Sizzle Spirit, **guest, **KiyaNamiel, juliefanfic, **for your reviews, **lesliemashburn** for messaging me concerning the next update (new reviews and questions always tend to kick my motivation into going), and **windsongspringheart **for beta-reading this chapter! :)

**Enjoy!**

* * *

A couple of quick knocks on the door caused me to stir back to life and sit straight up in the bed. It took a moment before the fog in my mind eased and I remembered where I was. Looking down at myself I realized I'd slept with my clothes on and the red light that shone through the window indicated that it was morning.

The quick knocks came again and this time they startled me a little.

I crawled out of the bed and as I hurried toward the door, my fingers worked on untangling the mess I called my hair. The door was quite heavy and made that squeaking noise as it opened.

On the other side of the door I found a maiden waiting with a silver tray in her hands. It was filled with various fruits, berries, bread, and even a couple of different cheeses. The woman herself was quite tall and had long brown-red hair hanging in a type of braid I had never seen before. Her features were bold, as if her face had been shaped by the wind and the rain, and her eyes contained a pride that could bore through anything.

"My lady," she said and bowed her head. "I am here to wish you a good morning and to make you suitable for the day."

She as much as shoved the tray into my hands before entering the room and beginning to open and search through every drawer. '_Not so much for formalities'_, I thought as I sat the tray down on a smaller table, not quite sure of what else to do.

The woman continued her search through the room, stopping every once in awhile to reflect on which drawer to open next, placing various clothes and items on the bed. I simply stood there in silence, slowly but surely emptying the tray. When she was satisfied with what she had found, she looked at me with those strict and impatient eyes.

"Shall we get you get dressed or will you stand there for the rest of the day? It would be most rude of you to leave your tutor waiting," she said with a not too harsh voice and made a motion with her hand for me to come over.

Without saying a word, she helped me to get out of my old clothes and into a pair of brown pants that were very comfortable, a loose, white shirt, and deep green colored tunic. Instead of wearing the boots I'd worn when I'd traveled here, she gave me a pair of ankle-shoes made out of a very thin material that I just couldn't put my finger on what it was.

Being all dressed I thought we were done, but apparently she had other thoughts. She more or less pulled me over to a high chair in front of a desk with a huge mirror. Her fingers worked quickly and unmercifully with unmaking my braid and picked up a brush to tame my mane.

I had never really enjoyed people working on and fixing my hair. Except from the lady Galadriel, that is. Careful hands I could endure, but this woman - who had not yet introduced herself - did not bother to be careful but seemed only to focus on getting it done quickly.

After a moment of clenching my jaw and digging my nails into the wood of the stool, the strokes of the brush became smoother and didn't hurt as much anymore. When she was satisfied, she began to braid my hair tightly. First she made a big, tidy braid that started at the top of my head and ended at my shoulderblades, and then two smaller ones made of the hair she'd left by my ears that reached back and were tucked into the bigger braid by two pins.

She took a step back and examined her work.

"This will do fine," she said. "But now we must hurry."

I followed her steps through the seemingly never-ending corridors and down a spiral flight of stairs, only to continue into a new corridor. The minutes flew past like bats in the evening as we made our way through some tunnels and I couldn't help but to wonder how I would ever memorize all the different ways through the halls.

Even though we were underground, the setting wasn't cold and it didn't smell of dirt and wet soil. But then again, the kingdom wasn't exactly what I would describe as warm and humble either.

After I-don't-know-how-long, we finally reached the training area. I didn't actually need to _see_ the training grounds to know we were there, but the sound of swords clashing with each other kind of gave it away.

As we rounded the last corner, we were exposed to the large open area and I stopped in my steps - I had never thought it would be this huge…

In front of us there were two armouries where people constantly entered and left. Behind them lay the archery grounds where about thirty men and women kept themselves occupied, and to the left dolls were strung up and was constantly hit by throwing knives and other small, sharp objects that I had not yet been introduced to.

Farther away were three circular sparring grounds and on two of them a couple of elves were swiftly moving. At first I thought they were dancing, but when I took it a closer look, I saw that they were fighting, or more like trying to puncture each other.

"My lady?" the maiden asked, seemingly annoyed by my stop. I rushed down the stairs to join her, only to have to hurry after her again as she made her way towards the grounds.

I suddenly felt everyone's eyes on me as we made our way through the crowd. You only had to throw a glance at me to know that I didn't fit in here - everyone around us were tall, with sharp features and fierce eyes. They moved with equal grace as strength; beautiful, dauntless, and deadly.

"Echileth, Edengwen," a familiar voice greeted us, and when I looked up I was met by Legolas' kind eyes. It was nice to know at least one face around there. The maiden, who I assumed to be Echileth, bowed and I quickly followed her example. The more time I spent in the kingdoms - or at least in Lothlórien and here - the more I understood how much status Legolas actually had, being a prince and all. Now when I thought about it, I might have been extremely rude in the beginning of my learning when I first got to know him - without knowing it.

Legolas turned to me and I realised that I'd missed something they'd said. Hopefully, it hadn't been to me. He tilted his head slightly.

"Shall we begin?" he asked and I gave a nod in reply as my eyes flicked about us, noticing that no one was looking at me now. I followed him onto a crowded path that went through the fields of the training grounds. Eventually, we entered a more open area and I noticed that we were now on the archery grounds. A tingling feeling suddenly appeared in my stomach - I had never as much as held a bow before and the thought of me trying to hit a target yards away with everyone watching caused the obnoxious feeling to grow.

"Edengwen?" Legolas asked and I heard in his voice that he wondered if I was okay.

"I'm fine," I said and gave him a quick smile that I hoped was reassuring. He gave a nod in response and handed me two dark arm-like things made of a semi-hard material. I felt how my eyebrows pinched together over my nose and I looked at him in confusion.

"Archer bracers," he explained before taking another pair from a shelf of endless equipment. With ease and many long long years of experience, he wrapped them around his arms and his fingers worked quickly as he tied them. I think I was supposed to follow his example, but I honestly had no idea which brace was supposed to go on which arm or how to attach them.

When he looked up, he saw my struggle and gave me a warm smile before helping me with the bracers and tied them as quickly as he had tied his own. It felt so odd. They were firm and not as light as they looked, but they didn't hurt. They were kind of unwieldy though, or perhaps I just had to get used to them.

He provided me with a quiver filled with dark, slender arrows with orange feathers and finally, he handed me a beautiful wooden bow. It was beautifully carved with golden vines painted up the sides in a soft spiral motion that caused the vines to almost look real. The material was both hard and smooth. The weapon felt quite heavy in my hands, but when I raised my arms the bow felt lighter. It was big, the ends reaching from the top of my head down to my knees.

I examined the bow carefully, fascinated by the skillful carving, until I felt a burning gaze on me and looked up. I was met by Legolas' kind eyes. His head was slightly tilted and he was looking at me with curiosity. When our eyes met my face flushed with embarrassment - for how long had I stood like this? - but he only straightened himself and smiled.

"I can see this is the first time you're handling a bow," he said, slowly shaking his head with a wry smile as he chose a bow of his own. "You have nothing to worry about, you will do great," he assured and began walking towards an empty spot farther away.

* * *

I've jumped between huge trees, I've climbed up steep rocks, and I've balanced on the fragile twigs on the very tops of the trees. I've even learned how to talk and write in two languages over the past eight months. But none of those things could be compared to this.

"Lower your shoulders, relax. Keep yourself straightened, don't arch your back. Keep your hands still," Legolas mumbled and I could see how he tried not to correct me more.

I knew he was doing his best to sound optimistic, but truth was: I was a complete mess. All these things to remember: straight back, keep my feet in a vertical line with my shoulders, a steady position, keep the bowstring by my cheek and at the same time relax my hand, low shoulders, aim, bent knees - but not too much! His hands were all but flying about me, every time I did something wrong (which - to be honest - was all the time) he lifted his hands to correct me before he stopped in his motion and lowered them. Apparently even patient elves have their limits.

It turned out that I too have my limits, and before I knew what had happened, the bowstring snapped from my hand and caused the arrow - my eleventh arrow to be precise - to fly through the air and land in the middle of another archer's ground. I received a most baffled look from the elf shooting on said ground.

I sighed and lowered my aching arms. My limbs were pulsating, even my fingertips - which by the way were purple and numb due to the thick string they'd held back. My whole body was numb and sweaty and my whole being pounded along with my tired heart.

"Your position is getting better," Legolas tried with an optimistic voice. "You-"

"Please stop it," I mumbled and turned around, trying to wipe the sweat off my forehead with my sleeve, but the archer braces were making it impossible to wipe anything without my hair getting stuck in it. "I can't do this, I'll never hit the target. Can't we just move on to the next thing?"

Legolas' shoulders fell an inch or so as he exhaled a deep breath, not taking his eyes off me.

"One more time," he said and I instantly began shaking my head. "Just one more time. Let me show you?"

I frowned at that last part and gave a simple nod in defeat. I took my place in front of the target and managed to take an arrow from the quiver on my back and place on the bow without too much complication. Legolas stepped closer to me and - to my surprise - placed his hands on my upper arms to move me away. Just as I was about to ask him what he was doing looked at me with his clear, blue eyes.

"Let me _show_ you," he said and I finally caught the drift. I took a step closer to him and didn't hesitate to lay down the bow as he took his position. I raised my arm and carefully let the tips of my fingers brush against the back of his hand pulling back the arrow, allowing me to see and feel everything he saw and thought.

My eyes closed automatically and I now saw the world through his eyes: _The target was in focus and everything else around me didn't matter. Every fiber in my body was tense and alert, posture steady as a statue. My whole being was working as one; my shoulders were held back which caused my back to straighten and my hips to open up, giving my legs that perfect angle. Power, strength, and precision. The feather of the arrow gently brushed against my cheek and sent a tingling sensation over my face. Nothing moved, every second was as long as an hour. Cool air drew over my lips and slowly filled my lungs, before exiting through my nose. The painted board was the target, and I knew exactly how much strength I needed to make the arrow fly into the center of the black circle. The moment came, and I let go._

The arrow hit the target with a '_thud'_ and I pulled my hand away, perplexed. A perfect shot.

I took a step backwards, baffled and still staring at the arrow sticking out of the wooden target. It felt - of course - as if I had been the one who put it there, and that the shot had been so simple. Everything had just been perfect - balanced and focused.

"Can I-" I asked and looked up at him. It still felt quite unbelievable, preparing the shot felt like an infinity while it actually just took a couple of seconds. He nodded and stepped away, letting me move onto the spot where he had just stood.

I took a deep breath, raising the bow and arrow until they were parallel with the floor and the feather of the arrow tickled my cheek and I tried to recreate the feeling I'd had when I'd been in Legolas mind: I drew my shoulders backwards and straightened my back, letting my hips open and my feet to follow. I had the posture, but not the balance, strength, and the aim, so when my fingers let go of the string the arrow flew through the air far too trembling and landed a couple of yards in front of the target. Though I wasn't even close to actually hitting the target it was my best shot this far.

When I turned to Legolas I found him still looking at the arrow, a wry smile hiding in the corner of his mouth.

"I believe we have found the correct method for your training," he said and looked at me with raised eyebrows. "Let's try another one."

* * *

"My prince," Thondir, my personal shadow, greeted and bowed. I'd actually have to say that I was a bit disappointed in him - for someone who was supposed to watch me day and night, he had only followed me once, not that I enjoyed his company or anything. He looked just as bored as he had yesterday, if not even more. "I am here to lead the miss Edengwen to her awaiting meal."

'_Oh, what a joyous pleasure,'_ I thought. The three of us stood at the bottom of the stairs leading down to the training grounds. Legolas and I had just finished our training session a couple of minutes ago. We'd practiced the whole morning and afternoon, with only a break for lunch. It had actually gone better and better after the mental-link-thing we did and my balance and aim had improved seemingly. Though, my lack of strength caused the arrows to fly either too short or wiggle into the wrong direction. "_Practice makes perfect" _he'd told me after my last shot. The arrow had barely touched the periphery of the target before falling to the ground.

"If it is not to her dismay, I planned to dine with her myself," Legolas replied and turned his head to look down at me in question. At I first didn't quite catch what he meant, but as soon as I realised what he'd asked, I gladly accepted his offer without any second thoughts - the day when I would choose to eat with the humdrum guard instead of one of my oldest friends, something would have to be very wrong.

There was no change of expression in Thondir's face, but he nodded once before turning around and quickly disappearing up the stairs. I began to move up the stairs as well, but a sudden hand on my arm stopped me. I looked up at Legolas with a questioning eyebrow but he just made a gesture with his head by tilting it.

"This way," he said and I followed him as he went around the stairs and followed the wall farther away from the grounds. It hit me that I actually had no idea where the dining room was, neither the kitchen.

We continued our walk in silence. During our journey from Lórien to here, I had figured that Legolas was a great option when you wanted, or needed, to just talk about all and nothing, but he also found great pleasure in just being in silence and appreciating the surroundings. It was a personality trait that made him golden in my eyes.

We finally made our way to a tunnel, which turned into a greater corridor. On the walls there hung lanterns and the walls themselves were great paintings of different landscapes and elves. One of them showed a battle among mountains where two giant blue dragons that curled around a tower of stone.

The long hall made me feel quite uneasy. I still hadn't gotten used to this whole underground-thing. Legolas must have noticed my unease because he slowed down his pace until he was walking next to me.

"Is everything alright?" he asked and tilted his head. I let my gaze fall over the quiet hall, where the only sound came from our steps.

"There's not so much natural light around here," I mumbled, giving the lamps a glowering look. The wrinkle between his brows disappeared and he looked up at the corridor again, examining the walls.

"No, there is not," he replied. "At least not on these levels. Right now we are in the deeper parts of the kingdom, far into the mountains. You won't find sunlight until you reach the higher levels or the area closer to the gates. There are both windows, balconies, and gardens up there. You will find that the kingdom is larger than you perhaps think."

That gave me an explanation as to why the walk from my room to the training grounds had taken so long. My room must be in a different area, judging by the windows it had.

"Do you think I can go there sometime? To the gardens?" I asked, sending a slightly annoyed look to the lamps on the dark walls. I could tell we were close to the end of the tunnel, because the walls were growing wider and the ceiling was higher here. Legolas looked down at me and a wry smile pulled the corner of his mouth and caused a tiny dimple to appear.

"Of course. I will make sure to let your instructor let you go earlier tomorrow," he said with a soft voice. My eyebrows pinched together.

"My instructor?" He looked at me with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh, I apologise. I thought you knew. I will be away on patrol for the next couple of days," he explained and the fact that I would be left here without anyone I knew made something shrink inside me. He must have seen the disappointed look on my face because he hurried to add: "But do not worry, you will have a great tutor. His name is Andrethon and he has trained many great warriors. Only give him your respect and he will show you patience."

To me it sounded like he had respect for this Andrethon. Perhaps that reason alone should be enough comfort to me, but I was still sad to hear that the only one I knew around here would go away.

Our conversation didn't last for much longer because the corridor turned into one of those wooden paths that were, somehow, built into the air. We crossed it quickly and entered a wider path that went along the side of a wall and that must have been a main path. One corner later, we found ourselves clearly standing in a kitchen, surrounded by servants.

"I believe I have lost count on how many times I have told you that this is no place for a prince," a sudden voice said. The velvet smooth voice belonged to a tall man with icy blue eyes and silver hair. "Or a lady," the man continued and I suddenly found him staring at me.

"Amarion, this the lady Edengwen of Rivendell," Legolas said, making a gesture from me to the other elf, who looked at me with curiosity. "Edengwen, this is one of my oldest friends, Amarion, the head of the kitchen."

"I would say '_not so old_', but I believe that would be a lie too big," Amarion said with a playful smile and tilted head. His eyes were ancient, but bright and full of life. They beamed with knowledge and kindness. Even for an elf he looked old. "It is truly a pleasure to meet you, lady Edengwen. I've heard of your arrival and been longing to see if you are as fair as they say. I cannot say that I am disappointed, you really do give the rumours justice."

By the time he was done, my face was beaming red and I found it to be hard to look at him. I knew he had only been as polite as could be expected from a highly ranked member of the court, and that he would have said just the same to anyone else, but a compliment was a compliment. I'd never regarded myself as fair or beautiful, though. Live in a forest for fifty years and see how much you care for clean nails and silken hair after that.

"Let me see what I can do for the two of you," Amarion continued and before I knew it, I was following him and Legolas through the crowd of kitchen staff keeping themselves occupied by cleaning, baking, sweeping, and dishing. People seemed so synchronised, as if they had done exactly the same thing for years.

The kitchen seemed to never end. Whenever we passed a corner, there was a new section at our feet. Eventually, we reached two open doors that led into a smaller corridor that ended with another pair of doors made out of oak. Amarion opened the doors for us and when we entered the room, I realised that this wasn't the proper entrance.

In the end of the room, opposite to where we stood, there were two huge doors that reached all the way up to the ceiling. The second thing that caught my attention was the great tree in the middle of the room. Only it wasn't a tree; it was a table that was carved around the edges so that branches reached upwards and entwined into the top of a tree.

"Take a seat and I will see what I can find," the old elf continued and quickly disappeared through the doors. Legolas sat down on one of the wooden chairs that was formed like a leaf and I went around the table to sit down opposite to him.

The dining room wasn't very big, at least not compared to the ones in Rivendell, but I assumed this was only one dining-room of many others. The room was decorated with green walls and great paintings of woodlands, framed by different types of stone, and from the ceiling hung a great, wooden chandelier.

The doors opened once again and six elves swept in. The first two put down silver plates, crystal glasses, and silverware in front of us and the other four filled the table with various food and wine.

"Thank you," I mumbled when they set the plates and bowls down in front of me, but no one replied. They only disappeared through the door again as swiftly as they had come in. I took a scoop of the mushroom soup and a piece of the golden bread to go with it. My stomach was practically screaming at me to swallow the bowl whole.

"Tell me, what do you think of the kingdom?" Legolas asked and placed a piece of bread covered with smooth butter on his tongue. I chewed slowly, choosing my words with care.

"I have never seen anything quite like it before," I said. Now, this wasn't a lie because I really never had been anyplace that as much as reminded me of this place. But that also meant it was not home. "It is truly a great kingdom." He seemed pleased with my answer and nodded, as if he agreed.

"I understand this must be hard for you, to be this far away from your home," he continued and a wrinkle of sympathy appeared between his eyebrows as he looked up at me. His blue eyes pierced through me and they were so sharp and sympathetic that they just pierced through me.

I let my eyes fall to my filled plate and chewed on the piece of bread in my mouth slowly. I really hadn't expected him to say anything like that.

"I will soon be home again," I replied but my voice was lower than before and I didn't look back up at him but took another spoonful of soup.

"I am sorry," he mumbled and he actually did seem to pity me.

* * *

"Prince Legolas!" a voice called. I looked up from the odd - but beautiful - rose and saw that the voice belonged to a male elf with long, dark hair who moved with hurried steps.

After dinner, Legolas had asked me if I cared to see the gardens before I retired for the evening and I had gladly accepted. He'd told me that this was one of the smaller gardens in the kingdom, but right now I was just happy to find myself in a place that was more plants than stone. The garden itself took the form of a half-circle and there wasn't any grass covering the floors, though there were narrow paths through flowerbeds with all sorts of plants, some I'd seen before and some not. In the middle of the half-circle, alongside the wall, there was a small pond that created a very homey sound and atmosphere.

"My prince, the patrol has been sent ahead and I'm afraid we must leave as soon as possible." The elf looked quite stressed and I assumed there was something more than the harmless patrol Legolas had told me about earlier. The elf mumbled something else that I couldn't quite catch but it really seemed to get Legolas going.

"Yes, of course," Legolas replied and for a second he must have forgotten that he was there with me because he had to stop in his steps and look back at me. "I will send word for Thondir to walk you to your room," he said and as soon as I gave him the slightest affirmative nod, he continued his walk in a hurried pace.

When both he and the other elf had disappeared down a staircase, I sighed and turned to the roses again. _Taurmeril_ this type of rose was called, but it wasn't actually a rose. The stem was really thin and twisted itself as it grew up a wooden pole before breaking into smaller flowers. The flowers looked like tiny roses, and hence the name, but I'd read in my book they were not related to the roses that were normally found in the gardens. Actually, it was more of an ivy that prefered to grow over trees, suffocating the poor things, and in some places it was regarded as weed.

I stood and continued walking down the stone path towards the pond. I couldn't help resisting letting my hands dig into the soil as I walked, feeling the damp earth slip between my fingers. There was something about it that felt very much like freedom, to hold the nurturing earth in one's hands, to be in control of a very small part of the world.

I sat down on the pond's gray ridge of stone and dipped my dirty hand into the icy water, letting the vague stream wash the soil away. I noticed my own reflection in the water and was struck by how sad I looked. Did I look like this all the time?

Instead of putting on a smile I just swept my hand through the water, creating circles on the surface so that my reflection was blurry enough to become invisible. An unpleasant, tingling feeling grew inside of me, like a bitter aftertaste, and I desperately wanted to get rid of it. Everything just felt boring, even the flowers couldn't brighten my mood.

In the lack of anything else to do, I stood and walked away from the fresh water, following the path alongside the wall. The path was turning only a yard or two ahead, leading back to the entrance - this really wasn't a big garden - and as I passed a lonely maple tree, a reflection on the bark caught my attention. In the process of stopping, turning, and continuing walking, I found myself stumbling backwards into a bush right in the corner of the room. Or so I thought.

Standing up, I could clearly see a staircase of stone lead down into the mountain. It wasn't hidden or anything, a couple of lanterns hung upon the walls lit up the spiraling flight of stairs, but unless you stood in the right angle the stairs would be invisible from the path.

"Hello?" I called carefully. No answer.

The boredom in me had completely vanished and had been replaced with curiosity, and without further ado, I stepped down onto the first step of the stairs. I don't really know why I walked so carefully. Perhaps because I didn't think I was supposed to go here - though it looked like any other corridor - or perhaps because I was afraid to get lost in this maze they called a kingdom. Though, the further down I went, the calmer I got.

Eventually, the staircase turned into a regular corridor with lanterns lighting up the ivy-dressed walls. There was a light at the end of the tunnel, like a small dot on a paper. I continued walking with big eyes, taking in the sight. The closer I got to the end of the tunnel the louder the sound of falling water became.

As I passed through the archway, a sudden light blinded me and I instinctively covered my eyes with my arm. My eyes quickly got used to the beaming light and I was met by a most stunning sight:

A couple of waterfalls dressed the walls on both of my sides, with silver water falling from a great height only to smash against the rocks at the bottom, and a voice called in the distance. I peeked over the edge of the pathway to see where the water disappeared and found a roaring river leading into a wide, dark tunnel underneath the mountain. Looking up at the ceiling, I discovered a few openings, like moth holes in a shirt, which caused the golden light to stream into the cave-like room.

I continued walking like in a daze, stunned by the whole scene. Farther away, just behind some pillars, I saw some more bridges leading who-knows-where. '_Well, I've gone this far,'_ I thought before walking in the direction of the other bridges - I wanted to see where this place lead to.

In the middle of the pathway there was a small circle with two stone benches standing opposite each other. On each side of the benches there was a small pot with something that looked like a very tiny tree. From here you had a beautiful view of the cave-like room and the light shining into the falling water, creating bleary arches of colour.

Leaving the roaring water behind me, I entered the first bridge, leading slightly downhill alongside one of the walls. Now, instead of water flowing down the walls, climbing plants grew like moss upon a stone. An unclear voice in the distance grew more obvious. I couldn't hear exactly what it was chanting, but it was nothing like the elven songs I was used to hearing.

After a turn, the bridge continued downwards as a staircase and the whole area became more open. The river disappeared somewhere to my left and instead there was a valley of many levels all the way down to the bottom. The walls looked more like mountains here, steeper in some areas while rounded in other parts. What must have been one of the more main paths, because every couple of yards or so there hung a lantern on the wall.

The voice was cleared now, like a soft mumble. It came from one of the lower levels, somewhere off to my right, and even though I peeked over the edge, I couldn't see where it came from.

I followed the stairs down until they didn't lead any further and changed to one of the pathways instead. It lead downwards in a zigzag formation and at every level a bridge grew from the pathway to the path along the opposite wall. I must have been on the third level from the ground floor when the voice was so loud that I knew that I was on the right floor. Now that I was closer, I discerned the voice to be more of a cry rather than a song.

The closer I got to the voice the more anticipated, and uneasy, I became. Eventually, I could discern a couple of words.

"Do… nothing will… Listen… me!"

The voice was soft yet hoarse, as if he had been singing, or whatever it was that he was doing, for a long time. I practically crawled around the last corner until I could see the person whose voice I'd been following.

There was a large room with straight iron bars raising up to the ceiling every other inch that made it easy to see into the cell.

A man dressed in green stood by the bars, holding onto the iron poles so hard his knuckles had turned white. He was staring at the opposite direction of the path, as if he was staring after someone who had just left. And honestly, he looked terrible.

His ashy hair was a braided mess, all the way from the top of his head down to his shoulder blades where it ended, and dark circles lurked under his eyes as if he hadn't slept for weeks.

"I am not guilty! I have done nothing! I saved her! Do you hear that, I saved her!" he called. I had never before seen a person look so broken, but he looked more miserable than I ever could imagine someone to be. "Let me out of here," he mumbled into the bars.

I decided that this was nothing I had, nor wanted, anything to do with and quickly turned around to walk away. In my hurry I accidentally kicked a stone that made a clear sound as it hit the wall, before falling over the edge towards the ground.

"You!" the man called and I slowly turned around to face him.

His eyes were of fury and he looked at me accusingly.

"Let me out of here!" he yelled, furiously shaking, or at least attempting to, the bars. "You can tell your captain that I saved her, nothing else!"

"I-I," I stammered, not knowing how to respond, but the man just let out a roar and threw himself towards the bars.

"That is enough!" I heard a voice say and a guard appeared from behind the corner. He stopped in his tracks when he saw me and for a couple of seconds his gaze just flickered between the man and I. The man was built like a door, tall and broad, and his hair was darker than most of the elves here in Mirkwood.

"Let me out of here," the prisoner hissed through clenched teeth, but was ignored.

"This is no place for a young lady," the guard said to me with a surprised wrinkle playing between his brows. Despite his deep, vibrating voice and the fact that he was taller than most doors, there was something kind and sympathetic about him that negated his hard features.

"I- I am sorry," I apologised. "I didn't mean to come here. I must have taken the wrong path." Well, it wasn't perhaps the full truth, but I had no better excuse. The guard's posture softened a bit and he took a couple of steps towards me.

"You do not have to apologise, but let me escort you to where you belong." It was more of a statement rather than a suggestion. I hurried towards him, but as I passed the cell, the prisoner hit his hands against the bars again.

"You are all fools!" he screamed before slowly sinking down onto his knees.

"Silence!" the guard urged. "I have had all but enough of you," he added before joining me in walking.

We could still hear him scowl and cry as we passed a bridge and ended up on a wider path that followed the side of another mountain. Eventually, we reached a staircase that lead us up to the main path I had seen earlier.

"I am sorry you had to see that, my lady. The man is as mad as a crow," the guard sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. I did not quite understand the simile, but I let it pass.

"Who was he?" I dared ask, even though my heart rate was still a bit choked from the encounter. I could feel the guard quickly glance at me from the corner of his eyes. Perhaps they were not obliged to give out that sort of information.

"Just a mad man. From what I know, he has been here for months. Nothing a young lady should be worrying about."

"What did he do? He said he saved someone. Who was she?" The question just blurt out without giving me a chance to stop it. I guess the '_think before you speak'_ is something I really have to work on. He didn't eye me this time ,but a controlled spark of curiosity swept over his eyes.

"I fear I have not worked in this garrison long enough to know that. The answer I got from the men was that the lad was uncontrollably mad, hurting both himself and others, and constantly mentioning this lady he claims he has saved. But there has been no such thing to have happened from what I can remember. Not for many long years."

I accepted his answer and decided to leave the subject. It was only a madman after all. Yet, that uneasy feeling still lingered in my body. He must have been talking about _someone_. Perhaps he _had_ saved someone, a loved one or someone he had eventually lost.

"May I ask where I should lead you, my lady, or can you find your way from here?" the guard asked and my head popped up to find that we were already in another part. Judging by the beautiful lanterns and the dressed walls you would not believe that there was a dungeon right below.

I realised I had absolutely no idea where we was, nor where I should go. I had only followed the maiden this morning, but if I remembered correctly, my room was in the east wing. Or perhaps the north…

"Ehrm," I choked wittily. "To be honest I sort of just arrived here. I do not know where my room is, but a guard named Thondir is supposed to guide me," I told him. He raised his eyebrows slightly, just enough for a wrinkle to appear, and looked honestly surprised.

"Is that so?" he murmured, probably more to himself. "I am not familiar with your arrival, though I believe I know where to find your guard. This way, my lady."

* * *

**A/N:** Phew! - lots of things that have happened and lots of information. Let me know your thoughts of it, every comment is a glowing ember added to my pile of motivation. See you next chapter :)


	28. The books are overwhelming

**A/N:** Here we go, another chapter all done! We're getting close to the end now, not many chapters left. I'm really excited about the next chapter (and the next after that), I think that you'll either _love_ it or **hate** it.

Anyways, I also wanna say that even though it's summer now I won't have any internet from this tuesday to about the 2nd of August, and since I write in drive (and have no possibility to write elsewhere) I won't be able to write anything :/ I'll try to come up with something, though. I can't promise that the next chapter will be published before I leave, but I can promise to try. I work, though, so most likely not.

**Thanks to ****KiyaNamiel****, ****Sizzle Spirit****, ****silverwolfigther00****, Guest, and ****juliefanfic** **for reviewing - it's always appreciated! Also a huge thank you to ****windsongspringheart** **for beta reading as usual :)**

All I can do now is to wish you a good reading and (to all my european readers) good luck in the football EM - Sweden's kinda screwed already (honestly, who expected otherwise?) but the rest of you still has a chance. An extra big "good luck" to my little french reader, whose country plays tonight. Right now actually. I'll woot for you, France.

THANK YOU!

* * *

"Shoulders."

I exhaled deeply and slowly drew back my shoulders. By now my arm had begun to tremble due to the draw weight. The first thing I had learned about Andrethon, my new tutor, was that he wasn't as merciful as Legolas - whom I assumed was more benevolent than I first had thought, giving me a bow with almost _no draw weight __**at all**_.

The second thing I had learned about him was that he's a bloody perfectionist.

"Focus. Keep your center strong, it is the key to a solid posture," his sharp voice echoed. Even though he wasn't in my visual field, I could feel his falcon eyes bore into the back of my head, as if he could steer me with his will if he stared hard enough.

"Do not lose the arrow," his deep voice hummed. I tightened my arms with all the strength I had left and the arrow ceased to quiver. I held my breath, knowing that if I would let any of that air slip out, my whole position would collapse and the arrow would fly in an uncertain direction. "Release."

At Andrethon's signal I released the arrow, which flew into the target with a _thud_, about three inches away from the center. It was my second best shot for the day. Given the thought that my arms were practically shaking, I actually felt quite proud. The past seven days had been challenging. Andrethon was a meticulous teacher who wouldn't accept no for an answer, but I'd improved a great deal since my first day with Legolas. Especially my posture. The first day he hadn't even let me practise with arrows, but simply let me learn how to hold and use the bow properly.

"Very well. That will be all for today," he said and I heaved a sigh of relief. By now the end of my back was aching, my arms were numb, and the bowstring had left a deep line in my fingers. After praising my improvements and reminding me of what I needed to practice he finally let me go.

I could all but hear the bones crack as I stretched my arms and back while walking out of the training area. It was the time of the day when the sun had begun to fall towards the horizon, causing a slightly purple colour to draw over the heaven like a layer of thin fabric. The dinner I had been asked to attend to would begin first in a couple of hours, which meant that I had some well deserved me-time. Yesterday and the days before that I had gone to the stables to visit Arahael, but right now I had something else in my mind. Yesterday I had walked past a couple of women carrying a couple of old books and I overheard them speaking of the library from which they had borrowed them. The thought of books I perhaps would never have the opportunity to read once I left for good had teased me ever since.

"Can you show me to the library?" was the first thing I said to Thondir, my very own shadow, as I approached him. We still didn't rejoice at each other's company, but we'd learned to tolerate each other. It was quite simple, actually - I told him where I wanted to go and he showed me the way without asking any further questions. None of us spoke more than necessary. Him especially, giving me only a simple nod before turning around.

We headed up the stairs and followed a path towards one of the more main parts of the kingdom, the center, if you like. From there you could find most workshops and boutiques, like painters, tailors, healers, shoemakers, and what not. I tried to pay as much attention to the pathways as possible during our strolls and by now I had all but memorised the way from my room to the training grounds. Most paths and tunnels looked about the same, but I had learned which ones were which, due to the various paintings on the walls. The paintings often resembled the certain area, like the paintings of great feasts by the dining area.

We continued past the healers' quarters up to the fourth level where we took left. We passed a workshop, where some tailors worked diligently, and as we stepped onto a pathway through the air I could see where we were heading. A great archway welcomed us and I could see shelves after shelves filled with hundreds of books. From the fourth floor you could see the greener parts of the ground peek out underneath the web of paths and I could hear the sound of a brook, but I didn't see any nearby water.

Thondir stopped outside the entrance, turning to look at me with that disapproving look he always wore.

"I will return in two hours. I strongly urge you to be here by then, as you must not be late for the dinner. Your arrival _is_ expected." With that he bowed his head quickly before turning around and disappearing behind a corner, hands clasped behind his back as always.

It was with a deep sigh that I entered the library. It was almost completely quiet, except from the still unidentified fountain, and a couple of elves who were in discussion of a book spoke so quietly that you could only hear a soft humming. The library itself was huge and open; a smaller staircase led to a second floor with balconies alongside the walls, and though bookshelves created corridors, they were low enough for you to see over them.

The middle of the room was like a great open living space: an open area free of books. Instead, there was a smaller fountain making that noise I'd heard, and many tables had been placed around it in two rows of circles. A couple of them were occupied by elves reading numerous books and taking notes. Farther down continued the halls of books with taller, darker shelves. At the top of the dome-like ceiling was a window. It was somehow built so that the light was divided and shone all over the room.

There was a similar archway to my right and by the entrance I noticed a sketch on a pedestal. I went closer and found it to be a drawing of a total twelve circles, four circles in three rows, creating a square shaped figure. After another moment of pondering I figured that it was a map of the library. It wasn't very specific, though, and the only thing that stood out was a black dot marking where I was. Over each room there something was scribbled, like _history_, or _nature_, or _botany_.

To be honest, I wasn't quite sure of what I was looking for. I was very excited to find some new books about the peculiar flora of the kingdom, but I also had something else in mind - I still hadn't been able to let go of that woman who had appeared in my dream the previous week, so every evening since I had skimmed through my books on various Valar, Maiar, and lesser myths. But nothing fit. Nothing.

I could still feel her moss-green eyes pierce right through me, see that smooth hair of hers shine golden in the sunlight, and smell that scent of peculiar flowers. But still I couldn't put my finger on who she was. I _knew_ I had seen her somewhere before, back in Rivendell in some book or an old painting. But now she seemed to be completely erased.

I hesitated, pondering between going to the section of _history_ or _mythology_ first, but decided on the latter one. If she was one of the maiar who helped create Arda I would probably have read about her by now.

The section of mythological creatures was only two rooms away and I felt lost among the great shelves of never ending books that grew along the walls. It was about twenty feet to the dome-like ceiling where a window, just like the one in the previous room, lit up the tree high shelves. The room was empty of people and it was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop.

It was with wide eyes that I examined the room. There must have been hundred of books, if not thousands. The libraries in Rivendell and Lothlórien was nothing compared to this.

"Well, I better get started," I sighed.

* * *

"No," I said, closing a book and opening another. I had spent the past hour looking through numerous books and had found _nothing_. No mystery woman was to be found anywhere. And it was really starting to get on my nerves.

There was so many books. Too many, really. And this was just one section, I hadn't even gotten to the section of _History_ yet. At this rate, I would _never_ find out who she was.

"Can I offer you some help?" a sudden voice asked, coming from right behind me. I turned around with a flinch and looked up. In front of me stood a dark haired elf, head tilted to the side and hands clasped behind his back. His deep blue eyes was lit up by a certain spark and they were framed by laughing-crinkles. For an elf, he was considerably short and wide around his chest. "Hm?" he hummed.

"Oh, yes please. I could do with some help," I replied, quickly gathering the books into piles before putting the ones I'd read back into the shelves and picking up the ones I yet hadn't read. He quickly bowed his head and I returned the gesture.

"I am Parvon, the one in command of this library. I personally read every book before they are approved. Tell me what you search, and I will do my best to help you," he offered. His deep voice was subdued and seemed to be absorbed by the walls.

"My name is Edengwen, and I am in search of a woman," I replied.

"A woman?" the man repeated, raising an arched eyebrow. "There are a lot of women, I am afraid. Perhaps you have any further information of who she is?"

I felt my cheeks go pink. I couldn't just say I was searching for someone I had seen in a dream, right? No, he would think I was out of my mind.

"I don't know for sure. I saw a picture of her once and now I can't get her face out of my head," I explained. Well, it wasn't a lie. Technically. "She had green eyes and long, golden hair. She-" I searched for a way to describe her better but found none. "She was very beautiful. Unfortunately, this is all I know"

A faint furrow appeared between his brows as he thought. His eyes were moving slightly, as if he was searching and reading in his mind. A minute or so later he finally looked at me again.

"That is no detailed information you have, I am afraid," he muttered. "Tell me, where did you see this woman?"

"In Rivendell," I explained. "I must have seen her when skimming through a book. I know she could be anyone, but I..." To be honest I didn't know what to say. I had seen her face before without taking much notice of it, but when I'd seen her in my dream that face had rung a bell. Parvon stood patiently awaiting me to continue. "I need to find her. I must speak with her."

"And you are sure she is here in this kingdom?" His question grew some seeds of insecurity in me. I had absolutely no idea of where she could be. An ice-cool feeling appeared in my gut as I realised that she might not even be alive. Who knew when she lived?

"No, I don't know where she is," I replied. There was a moment of silence between us as he thought.

"Perhaps I can help you, or at least set you on your way. Follow me," he finally said. I hurried after him until we walked side by side, still clutching onto the books in my arms. We passed through a couple of rooms until we got to the end, where we turned left and continued down the corridor. I could tell we were at the end, as far away from the entrance of the library you could get, due to the open windows that showed the center of the kingdom.

As we rounded the last corner, a great wall-painting came into view. It portrayed a tall man with raven hair swaying in the wind. His raised hand held a longsword that gleamed in the red sunlight. Below the painting stood a wide shelf filled to the edges with books. It was carved beautifully and all the books were all made of velvet, decorated with jewels. I couldn't help but to wonder what those were about.

We continued down a row of dark shelves. Parvon's eyes skimmed through the titles of the book spines. Some were bigger and thicker, while others were very thin. When we reached a new row of shelves he stopped and turned to me.

"This is the Archive of Elves. I am afraid they are not sorted after colour of hair and eyes, but if this woman of yours have had any kind of impact then she is most likely to be recorded in one of these books," he explained and made a gesture over the following shelves. "It continues down to the wall."

"Oh," I sighed breathlessly. There were about three shelves down to the wall, but all of them were at least thirteen feet tall. This would take forever. "Thank you, I hope they can give me some answers."

"And I wish you the best of luck," he replied with a smile.

"Pardon me for asking, but that shelf we went past earlier, what are those books about?"

"Oh, you must mean the royal archive. It contains the biographies of the royal kin and books written long before Mirkwood was founded," he explained. I gave a nod, changing to look at the books in front of me. _Royals, huh_, I thought. _That must explain why the books are so pretty_.

"Parvon, thank you for your help. I might have lost myself if it weren't for you."

"It is my pleasure."

The man turned around to walk away, but he had only gotten a few yards before turning around to look at me. He straightened himself and tilted his head to the side again.

"Please, do not mind me for asking, but Rivendell you say?" he asked. It took a few seconds until I figured that he was referring to to what I'd said earlier. "I must say it surprises me. Our fair kin rarely visit us and I must say that you do not look like them?"

I wasn't sure what he was asking. To be honest I wasn't even sure if it actually was a question.

"I am only an acquaintance of lord Elrond," I explained.

"Oh, I see," he hummed. "So where do you come from?" He must have seen the insecurity and dislike in my eyes that I was trying to hide and recanted his question. "It is not my place to ask, of course. I apologise," he smiled with a slight bow of his head, before straightening himself and continuing down the hall.

It was true, though. What he'd said. The elves of Rivendell were infamous for their dark hair, grey-blue eyes, and soft features. Frankly, I looked nothing like them. I fit much more in Lothlórien, where the residents were light and fair. My silver hair and green eyes fit in there. Of course, here in Mirkwood the features were harder, but the hair colours varied from the smoothest black to the most silvery blonde to coppery red.

My eyes fell over the book titles. I didn't really know where to begin or what I would find, but I picked a book named _The carvings of Forvendes_ and flipped it open. It was a biography of the lady Forvendes who was a skilled crafter. The book was not all too thick, but it contained everything from her history to paintings of her work - everything from doorknobs to statues. In the end there was a portrait of her. Her eyes were pale blue and her raven hair had been pulled back in a braid. The pictured was so detailed I could all but see the reflection in her eyes. Unfortunately, she was not what I was looking for.

Every book had the same kind of structure. The part that took time was finding the portraits. In the fourth book I found someone that looked somewhat like the woman. _Hernil Nídhoniel_. She was just a regular weaver and her book was the shortest in the shelf and she was not a very important person. I laid her name on my memory, though, before continuing my search.

By the end of the hour I had found one more woman who fit into the description. Her eyes were a lighter green than I remembered, though, and just like the previous woman she didn't have that glowing aura.

With a defeated grunt I returned the book where it belonged in the shelf and began walking back towards the entrance where I had promised to meet Thondir. I passed through the section of nature and my sight was caught by an open book on a pedestal. It showed a beautiful yellow flower with wavy petals. It mentioned both its Sindarin and Quenyan name. I flipped through it and found more new and interesting plants. In the end there was even a section about herbs.

I decided to borrow it and picked it up, it was a perfect traveling size. I continued my walk and soon I reached the open room with the fountain and headed towards the entrance.

My vision was caught by straight, dark hair and a posture that was all too familiar. My heart skipped a beat and my mouth grew into a wide smile.

"Lindir," I mumbled and hurried towards him. When he turned around and began walking towards the fountain I stopped dead in my tracks and my heart ached a little. He was not Lindir. He was nothing like him. Yet, for those few seconds I could have sworn it was him. My mind had played a trick on me.

It was with a bitter look on my face and a sour feeling in my body that I continued out of the library in a rushed pace and found Thondir waiting outside. I don't know if he sensed my bad mood or if he was just being him, but we walked the whole way back to my room in silence.

In the beginning of my journey Lindir had often occupied my thoughts, but lately I had had so much else on my mind that he had somehow gotten lost. I felt really bad for forgetting him. After all, he had been my confidant, my friend - except for Mithrandir, of course. I hadn't seen him for almost four months and I wouldn't see him for a further three more - including the journey back to Rivendell. I wondered if he ever thought of me. If he ever missed me…

When we reached my room, Thondir left me with a nod. I had been informed by a guard we'd passed farther down the corridor that a maid would come and help me get ready for the dinner in a little while.

I opened the door and all but fell onto the bed, finding a very comfortable position. I looked up at the dark ceiling, following the spiral carvings. It did not take long before I heard a couple of soft knocks on the door.

"My lady, I am here to assist," an unfamiliar, female voice called. I placed the borrowed book on the bureau and quickly drew my fingers through my hair.

"Come in," I replied and watched as a redheaded maiden entered and closed the door behind her. In her hands there was something big and soft wrapped in silk and she placed it on the bed. She introduced herself as Maedil and after giving me a hot bath, she started working on my mess of hair. She didn't speak a word if not necessary, although she hummed a beautiful tune, and after the day I'd had, I appreciated her silence.

When she was satisfied with my appearance she moved on to unwrapping the package of silk and revealed a pretty, blue dress. It was soft and loose without looking poorly and a matching belt was tied around my waist, keeping the dress in place. She smiled at me, which caused a couple of wrinkles to appear around her eyes.

"You look very appropriate, young lady. Now, let me show you to the dining room," she said and then we were on our way. As we passed various wall paintings, she told me their background and meaning. She never rambled on, but seemed to say just what was important. It was all from knights and ladies to great feasts to pictures taken from historical events.

When we finally got to the dining area she left me in the hands of a man. He showed me into the great hall filled with seated people and showed me to my seat, next to the end where a grand, empty chair waited. The people were dressed in various gowns and robes - nothing too fancy, but there was no doubt that they had dressed up - and chattered eagerly with each other. The table had been decorated with cranberries and leaves, not to mention the stacks of food. In two of the room's corners - opposite to each other - a couple of elves were playing their instruments quietly.

I wasn't quite sure of what my part in all this was and I had no one to ask. All I knew was that I'd been invited to a dinner, no one had said _anything_ about a party.

Suddenly, the doors opened and everyone went quiet, except for the musicians. I followed everyone's example and stood up, greeting the king with respect. He returned the gesture by bowing his head to the people he passed. He was only a couple of yards away when his eyes fell on me. There was something hard, yet dim, and impossible to read.

He finally sat down and everyone followed his example. Before attending to any other of us the waiters began serving him. Soon the glasses were filled with wine and the hall echoed with cheers and laughter. Some people held speeches about how keen the kingdom was and of their fair and righteous ruler. Others told witty and remarkable stories about times, people, and places from long ago. Those were the speeches I enjoyed the most.

"You must be the special guest of the king, now. Are you not?" a woman who sat next to me asked. She was tall and held her head high with pride, causing her too look at me down her nose. I got a vibe that she wasn't making conversation to be friendly, but there was something else to it.

"Yes," I replied, not knowing what else to respond. She still carried that bister look as she took another sip of crimson wine.

"I have heard that you have traveled long to be here," she said, almost suspiciously. In order to avoid a very long conversation I simply affirmed it and continued eating my dinner. "How come such a young girl is called to the king's side?"

There we go - she was the court's chatterbox, that was why she asked so many questions. I tried to think of a simple way to explain it, so that she couldn't leave something out and make people raise their eyebrows at me when walking the halls.

"I am an acquaintance of lord Elrond of Rivendell," I replied and quickly filled my mouth with smooth liquor to avoid being questioned any further. Luckily for me a man across the table opened a new conversation, so now she _couldn't_ ask me any further questions.

"Are the patrols going well?" he asked the king, who wore the same wry smile he had worn the whole evening.

"Yes. Or at least so I have been told. I got word today of how the borders have been cleared," he answered. His fork was dangling in the air with a piece of tomato on it, before he carefully placed it in his mouth. He looked at the man with gleaming eyes and tilted his head. "My son has told me your daughter is doing well."

The man wiped his smiling mouth and gave the king a quick bow of his head.

"She has been offered a position as captain of her very own patrol," he said with pride in his voice. "I give you, and your son, my thanks." The king's upper lip quivered slightly as he bowed his head in return.

"Never did I think that your little girl would find interest in slaying orcs. What does the duchess say about it?" he replied and looked at the lady beside the man, whom I assumed was the duchess.

"I was not surprised when she told us. She has always been eager to prove herself skillful," she snorted and took another sip. "When will the official ceremony be held?"

"As soon as they return. In two days time," Thranduil replied, not paying very much attention to the lady.

I smiled a little to myself - I hadn't seen Legolas in almost a week and I was starting to miss our conversations and archery lessons, although I still would be a student of Andrethon when he returned. I lost myself in my thoughts for I don't know how long.

"Are you not enjoying the feast?" a cool and smooth voice suddenly said and awoke me from my thinking. I looked up and saw the king watch me with a bird-like tilt of his head. "Is my kingdom boring you?" He didn't say it in a grave tone, but sounded rather amused than upset.

"No, of course not," I replied, avoiding his piercing eyes by focusing on cutting a tomato into quarters. "The training has wearied me, that is all."

"Ah," he hummed, catching my glance with his illuminating. "And you are doing well?"

"Much better than the first day," I chuckled and the corner of my mouth twitched as I thought of my first attempts of hitting the target. I couldn't help but noticing a twitch of the king's mouth as well, but it was gone as quickly as it had appeared.

"That delights me," he said and there was a certain gleam in his eyes. Perhaps it was because of the alcohol, but he seemed more relaxed and composed than I'd ever seen him before. "Let me know if there is anything you lack and I will make sure it is given to you. Tell me, is there anything I can do for you?"

"Well," I started, a bit unsure if I really should complain in front of a king. "Legolas told me about beautiful gardens somewhere in the kingdom, I would love to see them."

"Gardens," he hummed to himself, looking out over the dinner table as he thought. He still didn't look at me when he replied, and his tone was somewhat more tense than before. "That is a simple request. Bother not to practice your training tomorrow. I will have someone inform your teacher and show you to the Gardens of Starlight. Relax, until your weariness has passed. Take as many days as you need."

And with that, he returned to ignoring me by opening a new conversation with the man next to him, the duke. The conversations around the tables went on and I was too tired to keep up. Luckily, no one asked anything more of me the rest of the evening, except for if I cared for a refill.

* * *

"Look at you," I mumbled, fondling the petal of a blue flower. The petals were soft and fuzzy, giving them the same consistency as velvet.

I sat in one of the greatest gardens I'd ever seen and it reminded me of Rivendell, apart from the obvious underground theme here. It was close to the ground above and many windows allowed golden light to flow in. The natural light was a good change from the usual lanterns and candles. The king had held his word and a guard had come to show me to the great gardens this morning. He was not much of a talker, though he was friendly. When I had asked him why it was called "the Gardens of Starlight" he had explained that during the cloud free nights, silver starlight danced through the windows and filled the place with an illuminating light. He had urged me to come here sometime during the late hours and had offered himself to show me here again whenever I wanted.

I stood and moved on to the next bed of flowers. The gardens had been made in a certain pattern with paths shaped in circles and smaller paths connecting them all to each other. Numerous statues and benches of stone were scattered around the place.

I sat down on a bench and opened the book I'd borrowed from the library the day before, in search of the blue flowers. I found them after not too long and began reading. I felt like I was finally beginning to relax. The mere scent of the garden had caused something warm and soothing to wrap around my body, making me feel warm and good inside.

When I'd finished reading, I took a deep breath and leaned my head backwards to rest on the back of the seat. Looking up, something blue and silvery was caught in the corner of my eye and I turned my head.

Farther away on a balcony stood the king himself. Even though the distance between us was great our eyes met, if only for a split second, before he slowly turned around. There was a blank expression on his face and he held it with the same pride as always as he moved along, his hands clasped behind his back.

A cool shiver spread through my body but was gone as quickly as it had come.

"That was odd," I muttered, standing up and moving on to another row of flowers. No matter how focused I was on the flowers the cool feeling stayed in my body for the rest of the day, along with a subtle headache.

* * *

**A/N:** See y'all when time is with me. Until then, may your summer be hot and your ice creams cold. Don't forget to leave a review - chapter yay or nay? Also, just a quick heads-up - I'll be changing my username in the end of the summer/this fall. Never hurts to be in time 3


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